Don't remember me
by AddriannaDestiny
Summary: They were nothing but two strangers living together now. Power, money and everything that came with it changed him and she couldn't recognize the man she once loved in him anymore until one tragic night changed everything. Fate delivered them a second chance, she just didn't know if it would be enough. Human Klaroline AU/AH
1. Pilot

The woman screaming her way into the known opera was making his ears bleed and he turned the radio off with a huff, he was not in the mood to listen to rubbish music after another shallow and uninteresting event.  
He looked at the red sign, even traffic seemed to be against him tonight; all he wanted now was to get home, have a quick shower and finish that fine bottle of bourbon that would be his company for the rest of the night.

He glanced over to the woman next to him staring down on her lap, sitting next to him but only in body. He was going to look away from her but she caught his blue eyes with hers and something in the way she faced him pulled a heavy frown from him.  
She licked her perfect lips that he missed kissing. "I'm leaving you Klaus."

He simply stared at her and she opened her mouth slightly taken by the glimpse she caught in his expression but there was a deafening sound that pierced through the silence and then a loud noise as something hard hit Klaus' side.

* * *

"Nik, I need you to stay awake. Stay awake…"  
He could hear a voice very far away, it was hard to focus and his eyelids were heavy, he tried to open his eyes but he couldn't, there was something warm covering his face and he tried to touch it but his hand was trapped somewhere next to his body while straps went around him.

"Nik, God damn it… why aren't you fighting harder?" the voice seemed worried and restless as frantically fingers kept feeling his pulse, he wished someone would clean his face because he was certain to be covered in blood.  
He was being carried now and then lifted up in the air, only to be wheeled into a static position; he heard the sirens and quickly guessed what happened, he was involved in an accident.

Two heavy doors were closed and he was now on the move, it probably was bad by the way they seemed to race down the road and he forced his eyelids to obey him. He opened his eyes and faced a blonde man with a smear of blood on his white shirt, the black tie loosely undone.

"Hey…" The man smiled at him and cupped his face. "Welcome back… I need you to stay awake, I've asked them to take you to _The Grace_, we are almost there." The blonde man looked up checking where they were.  
"What happened?" The words came out slow and low.

"Some van just crashed against your car…" The man shook his head. "I was just behind you guys and I think you missed the signal when it went green…, you've lost consciousness on the spot and your heart was lazy there for a while but I've managed to bring you back. Aren't you happy that your best friend is a heart surgeon?"  
"How bad is it?" The words were forced again.

The blonde smiled as the ambulance stopped. "You are not dying on my watch."  
The doors went open and he was now wheeled out of the ambulance, the bright lights hurt his eyes and he closed them again. He was so tired and his body felt heavy, as the blonde man unfolded a list of technical words that he couldn't understand he tried to remember his own name.

"Klaus? Can you hear me?" A sweet enchanting voice came closer and it made him wish that was his name.  
He turned his head wanting to meet the face of such beautiful voice; she had to be an angel.

A blonde angel with ivory features and deep blue eyes that looked at him shinning with still to fall tears, he felt blessed that the most beautiful angel was shedding tears because of him.  
She touched his arm warming the cold skin and he smiled as her image slowly started fading; the commotion around him was becoming bigger but he was losing his connection to everything. Slowly all became buried in an awfully soothing silence and darkness, the angel was the last he remembered before letting go.

* * *

"Stefan?" Caroline looked at him terrified.  
"We need to get him inside." Stefan said and ripped Klaus' shirt open, there were a few black bruises but like he suspected no blood. By the horrible lack of blood, he could only assume the worst; he was having a massive internal bleeding plus Klaus' heart was stopping once again.

"What's happening Stefan?" Caroline asked wanting to go with him but someone stopped her.  
Stefan didn't answer her; he was climbing the stretcher and straddling Klaus pressing his chest into a precise count of heart compressions and Caroline covered her mouth in a quite despair.  
"He is in good hands." The warm voice spoke next to her and Caroline acknowledged that she had been stopped by a beautiful nurse that smiled at her now. "Doctor Salvatore is one the best doctors this hospital ever had."

"I know…" Caroline forced a smile and held herself in a posed way.  
The nurse could swear she had seen her face in some gossip magazine that the other nurses religiously read during the quiet night shifts. "You should let another doctor examine you." The brunette touched the open cut on Caroline's forehead but she quickly dismissed the attention.

"The paramedics examined me on the scene and I feel fine, the car…" She licked her red lips. "… hit Klaus' side, not mine."  
"I'm still going to get something to clean that wound." The nurse said assertive.

"Thank you nurse…" Caroline narrowed her eyes minding a small headache.  
"Elena." The other girl said with a warm smile and left.

Caroline opened her velvet blue hand purse answering her vibrating phone, the first of many calls she would have to answer now, she was certain of it as she was that the first man calling was the older brother. "Elijah…" she only managed to say before he bombarded her with questions that she was kind enough to answer.

* * *

"You don't have to come inside." Bonnie said after he released another grumble.  
"I'm going with you. My brother might need my support." He said with a big fake smile and opening the door of the expensive Sports car.

"She's my best friend; I need to be there for her." Bonnie said sweetly.  
"Who else will be there for her?"

Bonnie didn't bother looking at him. "Do you know why I left him? Because he was an insecure, juvenile, jealous and cheating bastard."  
Damon took the hint the best way he could; he came around her and laced his arm around her shoulders.

"Are you serious?" Bonnie scolded him.  
"My girl, my shoulders." He gave her a typical Damon smile.

She huffed her fringe upset and shook his hold away which didn't leave him too at ease but he wasn't the over affectionate type either so it felt strange if he pushed this, instead he looked around the parking lot for the car that belonged to the other moron.

* * *

Caroline stood up from one of the chairs in the waiting room happy to see her, Bonnie quickly hugged her friend. "Are you ok?"  
Caroline closed her eyes enjoying the warm hug. "Yes… but no one will give me any news…"

Bonnie pulled away with clasped lips and a frown. "You should go home and rest, Stefan will call you if anything happens."  
"I have to stay here until someone arrives, Elijah is away in Ireland but Kol is on his way with Rebekah." Caroline fixed her hair that was caught a little on the side with a small diamond pin.

"You don't owe him anything…" Bonnie said serious, she looked at Damon that was fondling with the coffee machine and took Caroline by the arm, gently moving them into privacy.  
Caroline could feel the speech and the scold arriving and she prepared for it.

"You promised me that you were going to leave him this time." As expected Bonnie wasn't coy and reminded her of all the times she had pledged to leave Klaus and still didn't.  
"I told him tonight when we were returning home." Caroline wasn't breathing in a steady way, it was all coming out unstable, just like her voice. "And he looked so surprised Bonnie..."

Bonnie shook her head with determination. "He is cunning and he doesn't deserve you. It probably took him off guard that you are actually giving up on his dark lost soul but you can't be fooled again. Enough is enough Caroline and you deserve to be happy with someone else. Klaus never appreciated what he had and I doubt that a few stitches will change that now."  
"I don't even know if he is alive right now." She tried to conceal the shaken voice but wasn't too effective. Bonnie sighed and before she unraveled all the motives and reasons that Caroline knew by heart she raised her hand stopping her. "I need to catch some air; it's really stuffed in here."

She expected Bonnie to follow but thankfully her friend was kind enough to let her breathe. Caroline pulled the long coat around herself once she stepped outside to the cold night; it felt good to have her bones aching from it. It had been a really long and rough night, so much happened since she left the house to attend a charity event with Klaus. One that he obviously forgot he was attending with her and resumed to flirt with every single girl inside the gallery.  
Caroline couldn't even feel her blood boil in anger, jealousy… something at all that made her react to the apathy that took over her life.

The constant looking away from his indiscretions, the never ending excuses she found for his cold and cruel behavior were finally having an end from her tonight. She was decided on it and she was prepared for everything when she told him about her decision. She was ready for his callous jokes with a smug smile defying her one moment of bravery or a relentless unfolding of yells so common to him. She was ready for all of this but she was not ready for the way he simply looked at her under the heavy silence that described so well what their relationship had become. Caroline had caught a sparkle of fear and pain instead, and she was not ready for that at all.

Caroline pushed her inner turmoil away as she saw Rebekah and Kol arrive.  
As expected Kol poked her small bandage on the forehead and kissed her cheek. "Nice scar sexy..." he teased her but accused the worry in his voice.

She smiled as he took her hand. "I'm ok."  
"Then I'm going to get coffee for this one." he looked at Rebekah scolding her.

Caroline nodded staying with the other blonde that was wearing tiny shorts with black stilettos and a top that covered barely anything. The young trouble maker in the family was taking her rebel party phase too literal and no one was able to keep her under control which only worried Caroline; she narrowed her eyes while inspecting the girl, she kept her eyes on the ground but strangely kept smiling and closing her eyes every two seconds.

"Rebekah... are you high?" Caroline asked with a whisper and came near the other blonde.  
Rebekah rubbed her nose a little. "I don't know." she easily said shrugging.

Caroline took the girl's face into her hands and forced her to look at her."What did you take?"  
"Nothing..." Rebekah pulled herself away from Caroline's touch. "And it's none of your business, you are not my mother Caroline."

Caroline didn't fight her when she went inside the hospital and left her there alone.  
This would be such a perfect time to leave, to go back to the manor and pack her things and finally leave but like always something held her back.

The fresh smell of coffee made her smile because the man holding a cup for her was one of the reasons she was still living in her big golden cage. "Have you seen Bonnie?" she asked him sweetly.  
"Yes, I said hello and then Damon showed up instigating the killer in me." Kol had his coffee with a grunt.

Caroline reached out stroking the baby features of the man she saw as a brother. "You should just swallow that awful Mikaelson pride and apologize to her, tell her how much you still love her..."  
It was funny how these things worked out, he was closer to Caroline than he was to his own sister and he knew she was expecting a witty answer so he quickly complied. "She traded one joke for another. It's a question of who makes her laugh harder right now and she doesn't have the urge to laugh at all when she looks at me. Let us blame the monumental mistake I made by cheating on her."

Caroline poked his chest. "The biggest mistake of your life."  
"I was scared." he opened his arms a bit. "None of us know how to deal with love. I freaked out and went on to sleep with the first girl I could find because ruining what I had with Bonnie was easier than telling her how much I love her. Elijah buries himself in work while Rebekah searches for love in every man or girl who smiles at her. And Nik... well, that one became detached from everything and everyone."

Caroline felt the knot on her stomach, the one that was part of her along with a broken heart. "He changed..." she simply said and Kol cared enough about her to kindly drop the subject.  
He smiled and went back inside the hospital to check on Rebekah.

Caroline twirled the coffee unable to finish it, she couldn't get the image of Klaus behind the wheel unconscious but this unbearable wait without a single information about his condition was even worse, she turned decided to find answers but the sweet nurse from earlier was already on her way to find Caroline.  
"They've taken him to the OR, he needs surgery. I know that it's not much and I wish I had more to tell you but all I know is that Doctor Salvatore is leading the best surgical team that this hospital has, they all came to help once they found out about the accident."

Caroline found comfort in that, she knew how respected and loved Stefan was and she wasn't surprised that his colleagues came to help; it also helped that _The Grace _was the best hospital in the country right now. "Thank you Elena." Caroline sweetly smiled at the kind nurse.  
"As soon as I know anything, I will rush to tell you." Elena assured her before disappearing again inside the very busy hospital.

* * *

The sun was rising and bringing a new day along with him, Caroline looked away from the window and the image that she found was able to pull a smile from her. Rebekah was sleeping, she was lying over a few chairs using Kol's coat as a blanket and his lap as a pillow and he was watching Bonnie leaning against Damon using his shoulder as a pillow; every time Damon moved his hand to caress Bonnie's arm, Kol clenched his jaw.  
The silent duel was entertaining but Caroline knew which one of them she wanted to see her best friend with and it was not with the brother of the man now arriving to the waiting area.

"He is out of surgery and he is resting for now." Stefan informed in a low voice, there was no need to wake the sleeping girls, he searched for Caroline. "The impact caused a few ribs to fracture and that led to an internal bleeding that we managed to control, he is sleeping now but if you want to see him..."  
Caroline silently followed him and waited until they were inside the elevator alone to confront him. "What haven't you told us?"

Stefan chuckled looking down on his green scrubs. "Of course that you saw right through me."  
She said nothing, she waited without breathing for the unspoken words that were still to come.

The blonde doctor rubbed the back of his neck trying to ease a simple explanation out of him. "There was a severe head injury and we had some trouble keeping a small bleeding there contained. We expected some consequences, they are common in these cases plus his heart gave up on him a couple of times..." he held the door of the elevator for her.

Caroline followed him down a small hall and looked at him when they stopped in front of one of the doors. "Just tell me already Stefan."  
"He can't remember anything from last night, or who I am. Nik has memory loss Caroline, he knows he has a sister and two brothers, he remembers his name and a few random facts from his life but he can't remember anything else."

Caroline touched her lips and closed her eyes for a few seconds. "He doesn't remember me..."  
Stefan shook his head and took her shoulder, stroking it for comfort.

"Is it permanent?" she whispered trying to wrap her head around everything.  
"It may have caused only short-term amnesia but there is a chance that it has induced long-term memory loss. We are keeping him in here for a few days because of the rib fractures and we will be doing a lot of tests but usually in these cases, the memory simply returns when least expected and you can't really force him to remember everything because that could have serious consequences and the opposite effect of what we want."

"Doctor, you are being called downstairs; there was a complication with one of the patients from this morning." A nurse said from the elevator happy to find him here.  
"I have to go but I will be back as soon as I can." he told Caroline while running to the elevator.

She only nodded and faced the door in front of her.  
Now, he had no idea who she was so this was a sign. She had her chance right here, all she had to do was walk away from him and the wrecked life she had with him.

Caroline looked down on her hand, the beautiful ring that he had once placed on her finger making her cry. It had only been three years and still it felt like it was 20 or more.  
Caroline looked at the door again, she was far from being happy but she had been once and she owed him that, at least a fair goodbye. So she pushed the door open to see him for the last time before she walked away.

Klaus had his eyes closed, he had a few bruises on his strong features and a big dressing around his head, the perfect dirty-blonde hair covered by it and as her eyes gazed to the rest of his body she caught the wires that kept him attached to the heart machine and a few others that she didn't know.  
Caroline came a little closer to the bed and focused on his face. "Klaus?" she called in a soft whisper.

Slowly he opened his eyes and tried to search for the sweet voice calling him, he found a smiling girl and he remembered her from before.  
"Are you in pain?" she asked unable to stop her hand that gently stroked his cheek, the stubble tickling the back of her hand as it moved with a life of its own.

"No." he said in a low murmur and startled her by grabbing her hand and resting it hidden under his over his chest.  
He smiled at her and Caroline gasped because there was no harshness in him or that cold shadow in his eyes, instead they were blazing blue and full of an innocence that she wanted to believe it wasn't love because she couldn't remember anymore how it looked on Klaus.

She gulped down and narrowed her eyes. "Do you know who I am?"  
Klaus' smile reached a set of dimples she had missed seeing and he closed his eyes keeping her hand warm inside of his. "An angel."

Caroline struggled with a tear trapped in her sad blue eyes and rested her other hand over his, her thumb stroked the wedding ring on his finger that matched hers. "No Nik... it's me, Caroline." she said aware that she was opening her heart yet again to another new level of pain and heartache. "Your wife."

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

Apologize - _Timbaland ft. OneRepublic_

Angel - _Sarah McLachlan_


	2. Pictures from the past

"Caroline…" Klaus read the name engraved inside of his wedding band, he smiled remembering the beautiful angel that had been by his bedside before he fell asleep.  
Klaus placed the ring back on his finger guessing by the ring mark that it has been there for quite some time, if he had to throw a number perhaps two or three years.

"Good morning Mr. Mikaelson." A smiling nurse with deep blue eyes and very dark hair came inside the room bringing another big bouquet of flowers that she placed with the rest that already filled a little table. She handed him a little card with another _get well_ message. "How are you feeling today?" She asked checking his head dressing and the bandages tugging his ribs.  
Klaus waved the little card in his hand. "Still struggling to remember who all these people are."

"Give it time Mr. Mikaelson, don't rush anything. These things take time." She sweetly said checking on his pulse now; she looked up to the door that gave way to a beautiful blonde woman. April smiled because his pulse picked up instantly and she assumed this was the stunning wife that Elena had spoken about.

"Good morning." Caroline greeted the two of them with a kind smile.  
Klaus had a big smile forgetting at once that the nurse was still here, the girl made a few notes on his medical chart and then left them alone.

"Good morning Caroline." Klaus said happy that she came back so early.  
Caroline left her bag on the chair and neared him with two books and a blank pad, he took the books without bothering to see what they were, he was frowning and she assumed he was puzzled about her kind ways. "I assumed you would like to be busy and I took the liberty of bringing the books that were on your nightstand, the pad is for..." She didn't finish because he was looking very serious at her. "What is it?"

"You were hurt." He said making it sound like she was the one with a few broken ribs and punctured organs and memory loss.  
"It's just a small bruise." She covered the little bandage with her blonde bangs and left his side to put some order to the flowers cluttering the table near them.

"You should ask the doctor with the nice hair to check on it."  
She struggled with a nervous hand that was shaking too much. "Stefan already examined me Klaus, I'm fine." She snapped but halted before going any further, he wasn't moron Klaus that spent a week away in Italy and then pretended to be worried about her. He actually sounded concerned over her and she looked back at him smiling. "Did you sleep well?"

Klaus nodded silently, obviously she didn't enjoy having people worrying about her and he didn't want to come across as overbearing at all. He looked at the empty pad but slowly leaned his head enough to glance over to the absolute perfect waves that were her golden hair.  
Caroline rearranged the flowers, she took a few of the small vases to the window where they could get a little light and moved the big ones, the roses went to the back and the beautiful sunflowers were placed in the front. She glanced back to the bed halting her movements surprised that Klaus was following her every move.

His glorious dimples greeted her and she uneasily fixed her bangs, she tried getting back to the mundane task but she could feel his eyes on her. "This is slightly awkward..." she said fighting with a rose that stubbornly kept falling on top of a big bouquet of gardenias.

"I'm not sure what to say."  
Good one, neither did she.

"Do we call each other something special? Because I'm not sure..." He fondled with the tight dressing around his ribs uncomfortable.  
Her gentle soft fingers startled him as she moved the hospital gown and made sure everything was in place. "Stop touching everything like you are five years old Klaus."

"You called me Nik yesterday." He said in a soft whisper mesmerized with her features.  
She met his eyes slowly. "Stop moving."

"Or else?" He mischievously asked.  
She raised one perfect eyebrow at him. "Or I break the other ribs that you have left."

"I rather if you didn't, I'm ready to go home." He said eager to leave the hospital and go home with the angel.  
She chuckled covering his bruised chest with the gown. "I talked to Stefan before I came here, he says that you need to stay in the hospital at least for a week."

Klaus looked down on his lap ready to pout. "I don't think I like hospitals…"  
Caroline slowly took the pouty features. "You hate hospitals because they remind you of your parents…" She fought with the urge to stroke his face like she did last night. "Do you remember them?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes focusing, all his memories came in flashes, pieces of information that he gathered as pieces of a giant puzzle. "They died when I was very young…"  
"Elijah raised all of you."

Klaus looked up at her and smiled. "I remember Elijah and the other two..." He said with a strange expression.  
"Kol and Rebekah." Caroline said slowly. "They will be coming by later, Elijah will return from Ireland tomorrow."

Klaus pressed his lips together and she could see him struggling to remember the details that were missing, she soothingly touched his arm pulling his blue eyes to her.  
"Don't force it, you will remember it all soon enough." She said in a sweet voice but he recognized a sting of sadness in her words.

"Tell me about you." He asked with big sparkling eyes.  
"Me?" She took away her hand from his arm and nervously pulled the sleeve of her black jacket up.

"Yes, I hold a vague notion that my brother Elijah is deeply involved with my profession which I'm mostly certain that it has to do with art but it is not his name that I carry with me."  
Caroline looked at him without a word or a decent thought.

He took the titanium wide wedding band from his finger and showed her the inside with her name. "I find it very romantic that we decided to wear each other's names like that."  
Caroline licked her lips, there he was saying that again and she had to touch her ring for strength to remember that he had no recollection of what happened. "It was a mistake Klaus, when we had our rings sized the jeweler made a mistake and engraved the names on the wrong rings, I found it sort of funny but you wanted the poor man fired."

He looked gravely at her. "Who came up with the titanium option?"  
"You did."

Klaus smiled like a little kid. "Titanium is like steel, it can't be destroyed. I think I was trying to say something."  
Caroline had no idea what to say to that, he had never explained why he chose against gold and honestly she had never given it too much thought, until now. "We decided to keep the rings because they were costume made and we didn't have much time to redo them again." She tried to steer away from the confusing feelings he was poking.

"I designed them…" Klaus said looking at his ring, the simple black titanium ring with silver inlay was most likely 9 mm wide and he had a very foggy image of drawing it.  
"Yes you did." Caroline said taking him away from loose images that he couldn't make any sense just yet. "Right after I said I would marry you."

"How did we meet?" Klaus suddenly asked searching for her face, he really loved looking at her. It was kind of unfair that she smiled before speaking because it only made her look even more beautiful.  
"You were my teacher at college."

Klaus drifted into a smile of his own. "Most epic I see."  
"Not really." She ended his smug glee with pleasure. "You were my art teacher during my last year of college and you didn't rest until you convinced me to go on a date with you. I almost got you expel for stalking me."

"What happened then?" He asked like a little boy invested in a tale.  
She smiled but it came out so sad that he grimaced. "I gave in and went on a date with you."  
"Do I venture to say that it went really well?"

Caroline took her jacket off leaving it over her bag. "We went on to see each other for the rest of the academic year. We got married during summer and a year later you held your first art exhibition and literally exploded. Niklaus Mikaelson became the hottest artist in the art circle, everyone wanted your paintings and with time you became addicted to all the attention and success. Other things became less important."  
He didn't like a little that she was insinuating she was part of that list. "I have a rather nagging feeling that you are softly preparing me for a crash-landing."

Caroline faced him folding her arms and somehow protecting her heart for the soft look she shouldn't get used to see in him because his memory and old personality would return for sure. "You became a very detached and cold man. Towards your family and our marriage, suddenly the parties and the crazy trips to see exhibitions from other artists, all the attention you were getting were everything that you lived for."  
He couldn't hold his gaze with hers and looked down from her sad eyes. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

It was hard for Caroline to keep her distance and she chose to sit on the chair instead of walking to the bed again. "Stefan said that I should take it very slow but I was never one to lie and if you remembered me, you wouldn't expect any less."  
"Will you tell me everything?" He searched for her eyes again.

For a second she wanted to say that they were the happiest couple and that despite everything they were still in love and that this was a turning page for them but she was scared of getting herself plunged into a lot of pain just to have him back, so she simply nodded.  
Klaus prepared himself for a speech that he somehow expected harsh but still he wished that it wasn't as bad as her somber look hinted at.

Before Caroline unraveled her painful memories, there was a knock that made them break eye contact and she smiled at Stefan that came in with that warm smile of his.  
"Hey, how's the patient?" He came to the bed addressing Klaus after kissing Caroline on her cheek.

Klaus forced a smile. "I'm not in pain…"  
Stefan squinted finding him odd but Caroline's phone began to buzz and she stood up grabbing her things. "I have to go, I have a meeting."

"Will you be back later?" Klaus asked hopeful.  
She made him suffer with her hesitation but then nodded. "I will bring you some clothes for when Stefan releases you."

Stefan chuckled oblivious to the previous tension inside the room, all he saw was the old couple back and lingering on each other's eyes. However he knew Klaus and he didn't like the stern expression on his friend, Stefan sat on the edge of the bed facing Klaus. "What's the matter Nik?"

Klaus twisted his lips with a slight sulk. "I think I wasn't a very good man before a van took away my memories and I was a distant husband."  
Stefan smiled resting over his leg the big amount of patient records he had with him. "You were a dick."

Klaus instantly gave his shoulders a dismayed slump. "I appreciate how everyone is being very candid…"  
"You have loss of memory but it won't be permanent and the fact that you remember about your childhood and some facts from the past few years let's me know that this is only a small consequence from the accident and the huge blow to the head that you suffered, however we are not about to start treating you like an infant."

"Does that mean that I can go home?" He asked with hope.  
"No, it means that I finally get to spent time with my best friend. I'm strapping you to this bed until I do all the exams that I need, that heart of yours is making my very pointy eyebrow raise in distrust. I don't know why it gave up on you so many times."

"It aches…" Klaus said in a low voice.  
"What does? Your heart? Let me check on it." Stefan quickly grabbed his stethoscope.

"It aches every time that she's in the room." Klaus said in a slow pace.  
Stefan gave him a look pushing the cold stethoscope over his chest. "Maybe we could add a head scan to the exams." He laughed easily but it didn't last. "Hold your breath Nik." Stefan asked listening to the erratic rhythm of Klaus' heart with a little frown. He quickly dismissed it when he realized Klaus was taking every detail into consideration and laced the stethoscope around his neck pushing Klaus' shirt to cover his heart. "You have a lot of time now to think of ways to win your wife back because things were really rocky between you two."

"Anything I should know?"  
Stefan grabbed his files and left the bed. "She was very close to walk out on you."

Klaus opened the drawing pad that she brought him once he was alone and slowly banged the pencil against the page, he looked at the flowers and easily his fingers began to trace lines that he didn't need a memory to unravel on the soft page.

* * *

Caroline skimmed through the room they shared as one giant closet, she ran her fingers through the classic shirts and settled for a pearl white one; she grabbed a deep blue tie and then went to his suits, all perfectly displayed by color.  
Caroline gathered everything and came into the master bedroom where she left everything on top of the kingsize bed.

She looked at his clothes perfectly lying on the bed and a slow sigh left her; here she was, doing wify things when she should be asking him to sign the divorce papers instead.  
Of course that the thought led her to take the papers from her bag and with an uncertain fingers she moved to the page where her signature was already neatly done. Her tired gaze landed on the line where he was suppose to sign and her thumb graced the space still empty and where she could imagine his prefect handwriting; the beautiful name always sounded even more powerful and ancient when he left it on paper. Unconsciously she caressed her wedding ring with her free thumb and her eyes followed her there; Caroline held the papers of her settlement careful not to crumble them but she couldn't say the same about her determination to leave Klaus.

She wasn't about to find any answers tonight so she folded the papers and kept them in a drawer that she rarely used, she knew they would be back inside her bag soon but for tonight she needed to think about something else.  
Caroline took her time curling her hair and applying the makeup enough to make her eyes stand out and then she chose an elegant smooth dark green dress that fitted her body perfectly. It took her a little longer choosing the right shoes but she settled for the ankle boots with a zipper on the side.

She came down the staircase closing the handbag that she trapped under her arm as soon as she came into the living room with a smile for Kol.  
He looked up from his cell and the music he was adding to the library. "You are aware that my brother just had massive heart failure, are you not?" He buckled an eyebrow.

It made her laugh but she expected no less from him. "I'm not going over to the hospital, I'm taking you out for dinner."  
"I'm happy to be informed." He beamed happily putting his cell away and jolting from the couch. "Let me just grab a tie." He teased her only going for his wallet and a coat.

Caroline smiled at him while he helped her with her coat and then she took his arm. "I need to get out of this house."  
He would never judge her or think any less of her for taking a breather from her intense life but still he held the door for her with a warm smile. "As the most handsome of all your brothers in law, it's my duty to inform you that this plan is far better than the one I had conjured for tonight."

"Chinese and horror movies?" She asked as they reached his black Porsche.  
"No." He gasped appalled opening the passenger door for her. "I was very inclined to order Thai."

Caroline took the seat with a smile. "I made reservations on our favorite place."  
"What reservations? We have a table with our name at Donovan's." Kol sneered before leaving the driveway.

* * *

Klaus tried reaching behind his back, one of the pillows had slipped down from where it was during his relentless battle with the wires sticking out of his arm; now they weren't itching but he was getting an awful soreness in his back instead.  
He looked at the door happy as he spotted movement but he was taken aback with the blonde wearing all black that came inside.

She slowly raised one hand at him and hit the back of her heavy army boot against the front of her other boot, which she was staring at instead of the bed. "Stefan cleared the family to come visit any time we want."  
"Hello Rebekah."

She looked at him at once, she wasn't expecting him to recognize her. "Hey…" She whispered shoving her hands inside the skinny jeans.  
"Can you help me with a pillow?" He asked with a heavy sigh.

"Do you want me to smother you?" She asked easily.  
He narrowed his eyes because she sounded serious. "Tempting but fixing it for now is enough."

Rebekah came near the bed and he was frightened that she would simply push him aside and bring the pillow up but startlingly she was careful not to hurt him and smiled a little when he nodded letting her know that it was enough.  
She moved towards the feet of the bed and sat there facing him; she rested her boots on top of the white cover and pulled her knees closer to her chest. "Is it true that you forgot everything?"

Klaus' only memory of Rebekah at this point was of a little girl running around the house with braids and playing hide and seek with Kol, something very far from the girl with heavy black makeup and a bracelet with skulls that she was playing with while looking at him. "I have only a few memories but I'm already starting to recall a few important things. Plus Caroline left me a few pictures inside the books with names when she was here."  
"Do you remember how much of a jerk you are to everyone around you?"

Blunt and honest; how grateful he was for everyone who wasn't holding back on him. "Have I been unkind to you?"  
Rebekah chuckled amused but kept looking at him. "We had a really nice fight a few weeks ago, you weren't very happy that I got into a bit of a problem with the police and you said that I was embarrassing you. I thought it was kind of accurate since I was trying to taint your perfect social image."

He smiled with the easy disdain that she was leaving in the air. "I'm perplexed that I called you out on your rebel ways. Were you arrested?"  
"No, Elijah called his friends." She rolled her eyes.

"Were we on speaking terms at all?"  
"You did all the yelling and I happily ignored you." Her lips parted into a big smile.

"Then I'm most blessed with the visit."  
"I just wanted to see it with my own eyes, not that I don't believe Miss Perfection but I still wanted to know if it was true."

Klaus wasn't too happy with the tone she was referring to Caroline, he could tell how Rebekah wasn't a fan of his wife and that bothered him for some uncanny reason. "Is there a problem between you and Caroline?"  
She wasn't ready for the blunt question but wasn't coy with the answer. "You got married to a girl my age, I find it really hard to take her serious."

Klaus licked his lips fondling again with one of the wires in his arms, he kept his eyes low as he collected his thoughts. "She is mature and knows how to handle herself. She strikes me as someone incredibly human and intelligent, a very assertive woman while you carry yourself like a big statement of how much you simply don't care. I find it hard to take you serious but it could be the confused and melodramatic dark look simply distracting me."  
Rebekah gushed out a sharp breath as she took the blow the best way she could. "Well hello Nik."

Her brother smiled but he wasn't the same man who shouted once how he wished she was not related to him. "I woke up with uncertainty surrounding me and I'm still battling with what I can't reach from my past except for two things that I am taking for granted at this point. That I have 3 siblings and a wife."  
"And a horse." Rebekah quickly got the message and changed the subject.  
The information made him grin, he liked the idea.

* * *

"How was the food?" A tall dashing man with piercing blue eyes came to the table where Kol and Caroline were.  
"The _couscous _was just divine." Kol pressed his chest with a hand.

"Tell your Chef that he is on fire tonight. I loved everything that was on my plate… and his." Caroline pointed at Kol that was filling her glass.  
The owner of the restaurant, Matt Donovan smiled enchanted with the compliments, the Mikaelsons were regulars and with time and familiarity became friends so he didn't linger on his smile; instead he leaned over Caroline's side and asked with warmth. "How is Klaus?"

"He is going to be ok." She smiled and took her wine looking for a polite way to end the talk, she wasn't a good liar and she didn't want his true condition out just yet.  
Matt picked up on it and was a true gentleman; he didn't push the subject and waved at the girl who just started her shift. "Let me introduce you to our new host."

At once the new girl came to the table with a dashing smile. "Good evening, I'm Katherine."  
Caroline opened her mouth and pointed at her. "I know you." She said baffled.

The girl smiled used to the mix up. "Perhaps you are referring to my sister Elena, she works at _The Grace _and she mentioned you." The sexy brunette wearing a curve revealing dress eased up on the easy smile. "I hope your husband is feeling better."  
"He is, thank you." Caroline had a little more wine.

"Tonight's dinner is on me." Matt told Katherine that nodded and excused herself with another smile.  
Caroline opened her mouth to protest but he closed his suit with a warning look. "You are in my joint and I'm allowed to pay dinner occasionally."

"Tomorrow at the same time?" Kol shot from his seat with a big smirk.  
The other two laughed but his eyes drifted to the bar where a couple just arrived.

"Kol…" Caroline begged him but he simply shrugged.  
"I promise to behave." He said weaving his way to the bar where he casually asked for bourbon.

"Kol." Bonnie's voice echoed surprised next to him.  
"B." He said pretending surprise for finding her here. "How are you darling?"

She fondled with words a bit. "I'm here with Damon."  
"I asked how you were B, not if you brought your pet with you." He smiled shamelessly before sipping on his drink.

She glared him upset. "Be nice and stop calling me that."  
"All right… as the sexy lady wishes."

Bonnie wasn't sure if she was slipping on her high stool but she didn't dare to move because he seemed to inch closer to her. "Is Care around?" she asked without taking her eyes from him.  
He smiled and his hazel eyes sparkled as the smile reached them. "Do you want to join us?"

"I'm just waiting for… Damon." She said in a low voice when her boyfriend reached them.  
"Are you done with your table, we are waiting for one." Damon said looking at Kol.

His rival smiled spiking him. "Can I buy you a drink while you wait?"  
"No." Bonnie said quickly and jumped from the stool.

"You can have ours." Caroline reached them hugging Bonnie tightly and handing Kol his jacket.  
He took it with a grunt as the couple left hand in hand.

Caroline turned him and pushed him by the shoulders out of the restaurant. "Let her go for tonight."  
"Can't I go back, stab Damon in the neck and kidnap Bonnie to my dungeon of pleasure?" he asked with a gloom.

Caroline laughed. "No, they would love you too much in prison."  
He sulked harder. "I love how grounded you keep me Care." He laced his arm around her shoulders. "Is it home for us or do we stretch this glorious evening a little longer?"

She dragged the moment a little by tilting her head to him and giving him a small smile.  
"I see..." He unlocked the car knowing exactly what she wanted.

* * *

Klaus was sleeping soundly, probably all the painkillers finally managed to knock him out, Caroline could only imagine the resistance that he gave all day. If anything Klaus hated feeling powerless and she knew that hadn't changed.

She took the pad from his hands careful not to wake him and pushed the sheet a bit straightening it perfectly, she shouldn't but she lingered her hand on his chest while she scanned his peaceful features.  
He wasn't making a sound, he was simply sleeping with a peace that was astonishing to watch, Caroline knew that tonight there weren't any nightmares or demons haunting him and she forced herself to leave his side. As she closed the pad, she noticed the drawing he had been entertained with all day.

Her legs wanted to give in on her and she was forced to sit on the bed, he had been busy with a portrait of her fixing the flowers, the accuracy that he caught on paper from the little moment this morning was awe-striking but her throat was closing up with fresh tears for the little note he made on the bottom.  
"_My Caroline...__" _she read the perfect handwriting beneath her image.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Trick me –_ kelis_**  
**

Again – _Bruno Mars_


	3. The way we were

"When can I go home?" Klaus asked expectant.  
Stefan scribbled a few things on his chart and closed the medical history throwing it on the bed; by the heavy line gracing his forehead, Klaus could tell he didn't have refreshing news. "I want to do a few more exams."

"Are you ever going to be less elusive?"  
Stefan shoved his hands inside the white medical coat. "We've known each other since college and it's a very good thing that you can't remember the fraternity years because there were some really blurred lines there and shady events that I will not tell you about, but through it all there has always been a strong trust between us, that's why I'm asking you now to trust me."

"Do they teach you how to be ambiguous or is that a natural gift of yours?" Klaus asked grimly.  
"I'm a very gifted man." Stefan smirked and left the room.

He carried on with his round and found Elena giving Mrs. Denver the morning medication. "Good morning Mrs. Denver." He stopped near the bed with a smile.  
The old woman as usual melted with the smile. "Doctor Salvatore… my hero."

Stefan chuckled without looking at her and focusing on the numbers in her chart. "It looks like you will be going home this week."  
She sighed with grim and looked at Elena. "I will miss the handsome doctor and his hair."

Elena laughed with sweetness and nodded. "He does have really nice hair."  
"And that smile of his puts my dangerous heart right back to trouble."

"That's exactly why I'm sending you home." Stefan stole the woman's attention again. "I don't want to ruin my work."  
Mrs. Denver took his hand between her warm wrinkled hands. "You saved my life and you are now my hero, deal with the compliments." She sternly looked at him.

"I like my hair as well." Stefan resigned to his fate and laughed along with the woman while Elena gazed at him.  
He was just so pretty.

* * *

"Elijah." Klaus recognized his older brother instantly as the tall man came inside the room with a long coat folded over his arm, one that he left on the bed before coming closer to Klaus.  
Elijah shook his head with pressed lips and rested his big hand on Klaus' cheek. "You gave me a big scare there brother."

"I'm all right… I think that I am because Stefan is being quite vague about it all but I'm alive so that has to be good." Klaus smiled carelessly.  
Elijah lowered his head with a scold and moved his hand resting it on Klaus' shoulder now. "Had you been drinking?"

"I don't think so…" Klaus pulled his eyebrows together truly concerned. "I couldn't because I was driving and Caroline was with me."  
Elijah gently applied a little pressure on Klaus' shoulder. "What matters is that you came out mostly unharmed."

Klaus smiled with a bit of an effort, the new thought was now nagging him.  
Elijah opened his suit and took the jacket leaving his suit vest on and checked on the little garden Klaus had on the small table near the window. "I see that many have been sending you get well wishes."

"I don't know anyone but Stefan says my memories will return."  
"What do you remember Niklaus?" Elijah sat on the chair near the bed.

"Mostly my childhood but this morning I had this image of a big property and horses."  
"Our estate in the countryside where we used to spend many summers. We haven't been there since your wedding."

Klaus smiled instantly. "How was my wedding?"  
"Very beautiful and romantic, you were very in love with Caroline."

The smile gave way to an astounded expression by the usage of a past tense which Elijah quickly tried to amend.  
"You are a very present husband and very much in love with her, you treat her as fairly as you treat all your siblings. With immeasurable compassion and affection." Elijah smiled hugely.

Klaus' horror expression turned to a raised eyebrow and he slightly pulled back his head. "Everyone says that I'm atrocious and insufferable."  
It was Elijah's turn to be aghast; no one had spared his brother from the horrible truth. "There have been some rough times lately."

Klaus tugged his broken ribs aware that the pain was coming from very dissimilar reasons. "I know that I am close to you, I don't need a memory to assure me of that so please Elijah, be honest with me. How did I change so greatly like everyone tells me?"  
Elijah nodded entwining his fingers and looking down on the floor for a few seconds. "Jealousy Niklaus."

A feeling that was unexpected to hear as a reason to his behavior but still Klaus stayed quiet and waited for the rest.  
"I was away from the country when I got a late call from you one night telling me how you just met the girl you were going to be married to. In your words, _I just met the woman I will make my wife. _Of course that I was not expecting it to be serious, mostly because she was 6 years younger than you and a student."

Klaus allowed a small smirk to fill his lips, he still wasn't over that tiny detail. That he was Caroline's teacher and later became her husband.  
"But as everything that you set yourself to do, you did marry her and everyone could tell how much you cared for this girl until Kol came into the picture."

Klaus frowned, that was odd but then again so was the fact that Kol still hadn't visited him.  
"Caroline and Kol fell instantly into a close friendship that I always saw as brother and sister but you insisted he was interested in her and couldn't handle the closeness they shared so suspicion soon turned into fights and matters only escalated into something that was out of hand."

"I would imagine I was a bit more confident than to suspect my own brother was after my wife." Klaus was distraught with the troubling information.  
"Caroline is a very beautiful woman, I reckon all that combined with her very strong personality has left you in doubt if Kol wasn't the one she would find most common ground with."

"How could I be that much out of line, how could I neglect the love of my wife blinded by mundane jealousy?" Klaus searched for Elijah's eyes and his wisdom.  
"You got married to Caroline barely as soon as you both met; all the small issues began to surface within the first year of marriage. It wasn't a question of love because that was there but you didn't know each other and just as you became famous and many… distractions began to tempt you, Caroline's carrier also took off and distance was like a constant gush of wind on a burning candle."

Klaus began to fondle with the wires hating the download of his past, this was not how he had imagined a rich and wonderful married life with the angel. "What does Caroline do for a living?" He asked compliant with his dreadful lost memories.  
"She's a fashion designer and she has her own company with her best friend Bonnie. They founded **Power **and…" Elijah vacillated.

Klaus squinted and Elijah understood it was not the time to hide something from his brother.  
"When you refused to mix your wedding with money, Kol came forward and became the third partner to the girls' company. It was the beginning of a small wedge between my two brothers and your slow aloofness towards the family."

"Is there any chance you can smuggle a bottle of fine Scotch into the hospital? I need to get unconscious very fast."  
Elijah smiled and stood from the chair nearing Klaus. "All this didn't happen in the course of a week or two Niklaus, it was a series of events that took place over two years and while now it all may seem highly unacceptable, I find it as sad as I did watching it all unfold. You may have fooled the entire world with your smug attitude and smile but I always saw it as a mask carefully hiding how much I failed you as a parent. I wasn't able to fill that empty place our parents left in your life and Caroline with her unique sensitivity saw that as well and that is why she hasn't given up on you yet."

"I'm not sure how much is there to be savaged." Klaus quietly admitted as the weight of it all fell like a heavy blanket over him.

* * *

Caroline pinned a piece of red leather over the black chiffon piece, the bright clash of colors was something she had been thinking about all morning and she wanted to try something different.  
Bonnie smiled coming inside Caroline's studio. "I can smell a new collection growing inside that magical mind of yours."

Caroline smiled pinning another red leather piece. "Just playing around with a few ideas but for now we have to focus on the collection we just launched and the amazing article that Kol landed for us."  
Bonnie sat on the big purple chair with her legs hanging from the arm and with the sweetest smile on her face.

Caroline plunged the pin she was holding on the mannequin and faced her friend serious. "I know all your smiles Bonnie Bennett."  
"It's an article in Vogue, this is the biggest thing that has happened to **Power**."

"I know, I think I wasted all my _seriously_ expressions when Kol told me but why are you looking at me like that?"  
Bonnie entangled her legs and clicked her high platform boots against each other. "We need the best photographer in the business."

"No…" Caroline shook her head.  
"Care, he is the best. He knows our collection and the right models to shoot a kick ass session alongside your genius interview."

Caroline sat with a huff on her white chair. "Kol will go ballistics over this."  
"Not my fault that some people can't be professionals and separate personal issues from the rest." She shook her long ponytail and fixed her tick bangs.

"I promised that I wouldn't get in the middle of this conjugal fight." Caroline opened a file that needed her signature in.  
"You should take my side, I'm your best friend and he slept with a model after our first big fight."

"Have you ever been to Switzerland? It's a beautiful country." Caroline smiled hugely and closed the file leaving her desk next.  
Bonnie left the chair as well with a big roll of her eyes and wrapped a big piece of black leather around the mannequin hiding what Caroline had in there, she pinned everything down securely and then smugly looked at Caroline.

"You need to move on from black Bonnie, we already did the all black collection." She teased her friend.  
Bonnie flicked her hair and left the studio with a grumble. "Give me a call when you leave Switzerland, I made a ragged doll that I named Kol and I want to stick needles into it and rant about him."

Caroline laughed but she was sticking to her word, she wasn't picking any sides but Bonnie's suggestion was rather perfect so she was faced with a hard task for later, the talk with Kol should be interesting and like nails scrapping a chalkboard for him.

* * *

"Good afternoon, could I speak to Matt Donovan please?" Elijah asked one of the girls preparing the restaurant.  
She was thoughtful for a second then she smiled. "He went to the bank but maybe you could talk to Katherine?"

"Katherine?" He asked not familiar with the name.  
The girl nodded and searched for the other one, she pointed at the bar when she found the hostess sitting on a stool. "There she is."

"Well thank you." Elijah wasn't able to properly thank the girl as she hurried away with a pile of towels.  
He walked to the bar carefully inspecting the girl sitting there with a very graceful stand, her back was straight and her legs were long untouched by the short tight deep blue satin dress, the matching stilettos were rested against the stool as she sat with crossed legs. Her face however was covered in a deep wall of black curls and Elijah was not amused by that, he wanted to see the face that went along with the perfect curves in front of him.

"Excuse me?" He asked next to her with his hands inside the pockets of his suit pants and a smile that he managed to hold when she turned away from her doings and faced him.  
The striking woman smiled with luminous brown eyes that reminded him of warm coffee grains and chocolate. "Can I help you?"

Her voice was sweet and confident part of the way she handled herself as she left the stool to stand in front of him. Elijah restrained to remain a gentleman and not move his eyes down from her eyes and she smiled finding it very bracing.  
"I was looking for the owner but one of the girls said that Matt was out on an errand." He said with a smile.

"I'm Katherine Pierce, the new hostess." She held out her hand.  
Elijah left the warmth of his suit and took her hand gently placing a kiss on the back of it. "Elijah Mikaelson."

Her eyes sparkled in excitement; he was no stranger for those who knew about celebrities and wealthy surnames. "How can I be of service Mr. Mikaelson?"  
He gave her a look. "Elijah, I beg you Miss Pierce."

She smiled with a flirt. "You can call me Katherine."  
"Elijah!" Matt unknowingly interrupted the natural moment of flirt as he came inside the restaurant.

The man in the suit looked at him shaking hands once Matt was within reach. "I'm sorry for the early visit, I am aware that you only open for dinner and that I would be asking a lot but I just returned from a long business trip."  
Matt laughed easily. "It's no problem at all, I'll ask the Chef to prepare something for you at once."

Elijah sighed relieved with the chance to eat proper food again.  
"Kat, take Elijah to one of the tables in the back where he can have some privacy while we get everything ready for tonight."

She smiled at Matt. "Of course."  
Elijah easily followed her and this time his eyes did wander through her body finding the woman simply put, irresistible.

* * *

Caroline gasped when she found Klaus standing next to the bed and fighting his way inside a shirt. "What are you doing?"  
"Trying to look decent when I flee this place." He slowly closed the button on his right wrist.

There was a slump from her shoulders and Caroline shook her head dropping her things on the bed. "You can't leave the hospital, we've been through this."  
"Stefan wants to probe me like an investigation dummy but I will only donate my body to science after I'm very dead." He moved to his left wrist with a painful sigh.

"Klaus, you can barely stand let alone walk out of this hospital and go home where you won't have doctors and nurses that know what they are doing while they watch over you."  
He raised his eyes from the button he just fixed. "I'm going home."

She had a deep breath knowing it was impossible to reason with Klaus when he was decided on something. "Let me do that…"  
Klaus smiled when she stepped in front of him and started buttoning his shirt careful not to hurt his wounded side; for some reason he focused on her eyes wishing she would look up at him but she kept her blue eyes down and moved away from him picking the tie he had stretched over the chair. He had dimples now with his smile as she stopped in front of him again and lifted the collar of his shirt lacing the tie around his neck.

Finally her long lashes lifted and all that blue hit him like a spear right to the heart, she moved the small end of the tie making a knot and then pushed it up to tug his throat. "Why must you always be so stubborn? Even when you lost your memory?" She sweetly asked him.  
"I want to go home and look around the house we shared and all the memories there. In here I have nothing but what others tell me but maybe if I saw where our life unfolded together, I could remember what I'm still missing."

"A bed is still only a bed. The one at home won't make you remember the passion we shared, I'm sure of that." She rested her hands on his chest. "So please listen to me, stay here and let them take care of you."  
"Was there much passion?" He asked in a terrible low voice that came with his accent.

Caroline moved a stray lock away from her forehead putting it back to its place. "That was never a question between us Klaus. When you were home and we weren't fighting, we were an actual couple and even if you were cold about so many other things in our life…" She touched his tie running her fingers through it and then over the shirt stopping over his heart. "I couldn't complain when you made love to me because I had my Nik back during that night, even if you always left before I woke in the morning."

She took her touch away and left him crippled by this powerless feeling he had, it was clear that he had many wrongs to address and to amend but nothing was as awful as the way she looked at him, accusing him of so many things he had no recollection off.

* * *

"And Stefan allowed you to leave the hospital?" Kol asked Klaus as he helped him sit on the bed.  
Klaus pulled the knot of the tie getting rid of it as soon as he rested against the headboard. "I find it hard to focus on what he is saying when there's all that gel in his hair."

Kol laughed but the easy moment wasn't bound to last and he wanted to leave before it all turned very awkward for both.  
"Kol."

He sighed and faced the older brother that was stubbornly getting up from the bed.  
"Elijah told me that we used to fight constantly."

"I mostly left the room when you started drinking and accusing me of having feelings for your wife."  
Klaus gripped the tie in his hand. "Would it change anything if I told you that I'm decided on turning things around?"

"It would mean as much as you laughing at my face when I repeatedly assured you that I loved her best friend instead and saw Caroline as nothing more than a sister."  
Klaus nodded taking the iciness as a sign that nothing was ever going to be that easy. "I wouldn't want to waste your time then."

"Welcome home Nik, I haven't missed you but I'm not wearing all black and worshiping Satan in my room just to get your attention so maybe you could focus on Bekah for now." Kol left closing the door behind him and fishing for some sympathy for the devil but he found himself short of it at the moment.  
He smiled when Caroline came up from the staircase but he narrowed as she narrowed her eyes, mimicking her and knowing he wasn't going to like this. "What are you going to ask me?"

"Bonnie suggested a name for the photo shoot."  
"Utterly out of the question." He instantly dropped.

"Damon is the best and I just saw what he did for Dior last summer. I was purring with lust as I went through the article and I want others to roll around the floor clutching Vogue and whispering…_ I hate her fabulous clothes_…" She adorably tilted her head. "Please?"  
"I only hold 30% of the company shares, you hold 40 so it's your decision that counts, why are you even asking me this when it's impossible to say yes to Damon? The man Bonnie is now _purring _to."

"You are **Power**'s PR, manager, my closest friend and I need your opinion."  
"If he so much as hints that he has naked pictures of Bonnie..."

"I'm Switzerland…" Caroline flashed a sweet smile.  
"It's a dreadful country with a lot of chocolate Caroline." He walked away upset. "And when some man named _Bulldozer _makes me his bitch in prison, I will be cursing you."

"Does that mean you will hire Damon?"  
"I will call him tomorrow and set up a meeting." He stopped before going down the stairs. "Make sure you hide all deadly weapons on sight."

She smiled before going inside her bedroom where she found Klaus holding a frame in his hands; she slowed down immediately identifying it as her wedding picture.  
Klaus looked like he was in a trance as he ran his thumb over the picture, over her laughing face a bit thrown back as he kissed her neck with a happy smile. He ran his index over her wedding band, she had her hand on his hair and he got nothing but extreme happiness and love as he looked at the picture.

"Klaus?" She called him quietly.  
He looked up slowly at her and his face showed how much he was struggling to get the movie rolling inside his mind, wishing there was a simple button that would start playing all that he was missing.

She smiled walking to him and ready to touch the frame but he pulled it back at the last second surprising her, Caroline searched his face again expecting silent answers.  
But Klaus spoke and it was like being shot, it literally felt like he was holding a gun and pointing it at her and then pulling the trigger. "Carebear…"

For the longest second she expected to collapse but when her legs didn't fail her she ran away, Caroline closed herself in the bathroom clutching her mouth and the marble but it wasn't enough to steady her and she fell roughly sitting on the ground and crying. Covering her mouth was useless as the uncontrollable sobbing fit came like a horrible tide that was taking everything away from her, all the controlled pain was finally coming forward.

She raised her head as Klaus knelt in front of her with difficulty.  
"I didn't mean to trouble you; I just had the name suddenly dancing in my mind."

Caroline cleaned her wet face quieting the tears and after a long breath spoke. "You used to call me that… and I used to tell you how much I hated it and then one day you just stopped." She said slowly shrugging. "But I didn't really hated it… I loved it so much. I still love it…" She corrected as tears streamed down her face. "I still love you so much Nik..."  
"I feel like I'm stuck outside my own body watching the horror movie and as much as I want to be part of it so I can change it, I'm also frightened that I could only be causing more damage on top of everything that I already put you through."

"It's your decision and it would certainly bring closure to all of us. Maybe it's time to stop steering up the past, some things are better left forgotten."  
"Do you want me stop Caroline?"

She simply looked down from his glistening blue eyes.  
"Because I feel rather lost but not when you are around and there is an uncanny feeling inside of me that looms with each day and I can't explain why I think it's anger because I can't understand why I would be so angry when I have the perfect life."

Caroline gasped knowing what he was saying next and she shook her head trying to stop him.  
"The perfect wife."

Damn him for saying it and for looking so honest.  
She closed her eyes as the tears returned.

"No, I'm not going to stop." He said determined.  
She shook her head refusing to listen to his promises.

"With memory or no memory I will fix this."  
"Fix what Nik?" Her voice was hoarse from the tears.

"My broken link to my siblings and..." He cupped her cheek making her gasp with the warmth of his hand on her skin. "And then I'm going to win my Carebear back." He smiled pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her, Caroline let go closing her eyes and resting her weight against him because that's what she had missed the most, the safety and warmth of his arms.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Love Me Again - _John Newman_

Say something - _Ian Axel_


	4. Give me a chance

_Klaus' hand knowingly moved the brush applying more pressure on the background, he was decided on making it deep blue so that she stood up with her ivory complexion. He moved his head a little so he could see the woman sitting sideways on the small couch, the legs lazily dangling on the side, bare feet entangled in one another. His eyes flicked between her and the big canvas in front of him, Klaus changed brush and began to work on the pale pink dress she was wearing._

_His blue eyes left the canvas to look at his muse again, he caught her eyes as she seemed to be holding off air sitting still and calmly allowing him to capture all that perfection._  
_She offered him a sweet smile so heavenly framed among her delicate features, Caroline wasn't wearing any makeup and her hair loosely fell in soft natural waves; oh how she made his heart ache ruthlessly imprisoning him in a faultless moment._

_Klaus rested the brush and cleaned his hands on a piece of cloth walking to her._  
_Caroline frowned slightly at him. "Are you finished with the painting?"_

_Klaus dropped the cloth and then pulled his Henley over his head dropping it on the way as well. "Yes."_  
_She chuckled as he neared her. "You are a perfectionist; you are far from being done."_

_Klaus crooked his leg, supporting the knee on the couch and bent down cupping her cheek, he cheekily smiled at her before kissing her. "I'm done with the painting; I'd like to be meticulous with my wife now."_  
_She deliciously moaned as his hand brushed the casual light dress down her pale shoulder. "The model likes that idea very much." She mused while running her hand across his chest reaching his neck and keeping him locked for a long deep kiss._

_His big hand moved her long blonde hair behind her shoulder and clasped her neck, his lips were powerful against hers and Caroline pulled her legs back to the couch, as he sensed the movement he gripped her waist and held her as he shifted their positions._  
_Now he was seated on the couch and she straddled him sweetly taking charge of the kiss and stroking his broad shoulders, Klaus' hands pressed her back towards him, sweetly pinning a very heated body against his bare chest._

_Caroline teased his tongue making the kiss playful and then scrapped his cheek, the blonde scruff tickled her fingertips and she ventured her eyes into his with a smile. "I like how this honeymoon thing works."_  
_He laughed making his chest shake and his necklaces tingle against one another. "It's a highly enjoyable concept for me as well; I think we should stay secluded from the world for at least another month."_

_Caroline kissed him after a happy giggle that melted him. "Wouldn't you get really tired of me then?"_  
_"Utterly impossible Carebear." he said sweetly pushing a few stranded locks aside so he could stroke her soft cheek._

_She grunted loudly. "I should have never told you about my baby nickname."_  
_"I find it extremely adorable and I admit that I do it simply to see you cringe." he laughed amused.  
_  
_"You are a terrible mean man Nik." she pouted.  
"Indeed but still I am yours." he whispered sneaking a hand under her flowing dress making her skin wrinkle with his eager touch._

_Caroline's breath picked up with the warm hand making its way up her leg, the wedding band was cold and making her shiver and she couldn't take her eyes away from his, his hand reached her waist and then she closed her eyes as both his hands traveled under the flowing dress finding her chest._

"_Care?"_

"Care?"  
The same voice called and Caroline snapped away from her vivid memory, she looked up to the door where Bonnie stood with a strange frown.

"Yes?" she asked regaining her control.  
"Damon is here and you are late for the meeting." Bonnie tried to sound sweet but she was worried about the distant look on her friend.

Caroline smiled and quickly left her desk. "I lost track of time… sorry."  
"It's okay…" Bonnie was very suspicious and she restrained from jumping to the conclusion that Caroline's strange mood had to do with Klaus but it was stronger than her. "Has Klaus signed the papers yet?"

Caroline went straight to the office without answering that precise question and simply smiled at Bonnie. "We should hurry, it's not very safe to leave Kol alone with Damon."  
Bonnie played with one of her five bracelets looking at Caroline as the blonde held the door for her. "We should totally have lunch today."

"I'm on a diet." The other whispered with an attitude.  
Bonnie was not a bit amused.

* * *

"_You look a little green Nik…"  
Klaus pushed the camera away from his face upset. "I'm fine."_

_Stefan rested his hand over Klaus' shoulder. "Usually breathing helps a little Nik."_  
_"I said that I'm fine." Klaus snapped loosening the knot from the tie._

_The priest glared at Kol that smiled while capturing him on film, he got all the guests inside the small chapel before he turned to Klaus and Stefan again._  
_"She's not coming." Klaus gulped down checking Stefan's watch._

_His friend and best man laughed. "Will you please relax? It's my day off and I don't want to go near your heart." he fixed Klaus' tie with a scold. "I can hear it pounding from here."_  
_"She had time to think this through and how everything was so fast between us. We've been together for only a few months and now she has regretted saying yes." Klaus gasped. "She took the passport and fled the country, I will never see her again Stefan."_

_Stefan raised his eyebrow high. "Are you hyperventilating? Because Kol is filming everything and I really don't want to be caught performing mouth to mouth on the groom."_  
_Klaus shot his head to Kol that shamelessly kept the camera on them. "What are you doing?"_

_"You will thank me later one day, when you are really old and senile and can't remember your wedding day, you will be so happy that your brother Kol caught all these wonderful panic attacks for perpetuity."_

_Klaus made this movement with his body, so subtle but so alarming and Kol turned away from him afraid Klaus would beat him up into a pulp. He beamed when the music started and Bonnie came inside, he smiled at her when she winked at him and took her place as the bridesmaid._  
_Then Kol turned the camera capturing Caroline in the breathtaking white dress, her shoulders were bare and the bustier bodice was filled with tiny sparkling jewels contrasting perfectly with the clean look from the waist down; nothing but immaculate white as the skirt ended on a small train._

_Her hair was trapped on the sides in curly waves and Caroline had the biggest smile imprinted on her face as she made her way to Klaus._  
_Elijah was the one giving her away and he as well was beaming, his brother was getting married to a beautiful princess; he gently padded Klaus' face with a proud nod before he handed Caroline to him._

_Klaus was shaking as Kol evilly caught by zooming in on the moment but he also caught the way Klaus squeezed her hand with his and how Caroline closed her eyes with an emotional smile as he kissed her cheek and whispered how beautiful she looked._

Klaus froze the image so he could admire how incredibly mesmerizing she looked and how happy they both looked. He sighed pushing the little arrows in the remote control, he pressed play when they exchanged wedding rings slightly annoyed that neither had written epic vows and simply repeated the ones the priest gave them. He pushed forward again and then stopped when the priest closed the bible.

_"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."_  
_Under a big wave of clapping and cheers, Klaus leaned over gently cupping her cheek and smiled. "Welcome to my crazy family Mrs. Mikaelson."_  
_She laughed softly and happy clasping a hand around his neck and kissed him with love._

Klaus forced his eyes away from the TV to look at the man coming inside, he narrowed his eyes because Stefan looked ready to use an axe on him.  
"What were you thinking? I'm the doctor and I told you to stay in the hospital."

"I didn't like it there." Klaus quietly answered.  
"I'm sorry Nik… next time I'll make sure we have cookies and milk so that you feel more comfortable."

"My best man has sarcasm, I like that." Klaus laughed.  
The easiness in the other left Stefan on the verge of a rage attack but he angrily dropped his leather jacket on the couch choosing that a drink was in order. "Is that your wedding?" he asked glancing over to the TV.

"Yes, I found the pictures but I thought that maybe watching the DVD would bring a few more memories back."  
"Have you remembered anything else?" Stefan had his drink after he sat next to Klaus.

"I remembered what I used to call her." He answered happy with himself.  
"That's a big development Nik." Stefan said excited.

Klaus nodded. "I've decided to get my memory, my family and my wife back." he said with confidence.  
"Well, you always were the greedy one." Stefan smirked.

Instead of reacting to Stefan's words, Klaus looked concerned at his friend, Stefan encouraged him to speak by lowering his chin and looking at him with undivided attention.  
"What if my mind is simply keeping me away from something awful that I did and that can't be forgiven for?"

Stefan squinted. "Are you talking… about another woman?"  
Klaus crooked his head down. "I watched Caroline fall asleep last night out of sheer exhaustion and the woman in there…" he pointed at the screen. "… is not the same with the sad smile that I am married now. The thought started tormenting me, what if I have done something that I would be truly ashamed to remember?"

At first Klaus didn't understand why there was a chuckle from Stefan but his friend couldn't help it all. "You spent your bachelor party exchanging messages with Caroline, at some point Kol and I had to send you home because you were ruining it for to us." The chuckle grew into laughter. "I highly doubt that suddenly you really went out of your way and decided to be with another woman."

Klaus looked back at the screen where the image of Caroline smiling made his heart tight; Stefan was right, he would never do that to her no matter how distant or cold they became towards each other.

Both men looked at the door when a girl wearing all black came inside with a low pace, she barely looked at them heading for the staircase in the same slow rhythm.  
Klaus dropped the remote motioning to get up but Stefan stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I got this." he warmly said and left after Rebekah.

Klaus reluctantly agreed, standing up still hurt like hell and he wanted to finish the DVD. He used the little arrows again and pushed play when he spotted the change of scenery.  
It was their first dance as a married couple and Klaus was enjoying it tremendously but then all that he got was Bonnie; shielding from the camera, laughing and calling kol silly.  
Klaus was not amused that the next minutes were all about Bonnie and an improvised interview made on spot. He gave up when Kol asked if she would go out with him and Bonnie answered only if he turned the camera off, he felt particularly dense for being jealous of Kol at all.

* * *

Kol repeatedly bashed the pen against the table, he was so unaware of his irritated mood that he startled when Caroline took the pen from his hand, he looked to the side and she smiled at him; the best he managed was a sly move of eyes to the couple sitting in front of him.

Caroline kept the pen out of his reach and looked at Bonnie and Damon, he was holding hands with her and Caroline gave her friend a look, she knew how much Bonnie hated public displays of affection; it was obvious she was only doing this to spike Kol.  
"Everything seems to be in order." Damon said pushing the contract on the table towards Kol. "Except for the fee."

"We agreed on that amount over the phone Damon, you asked for that outrageous payment and I reluctantly accepted it because my two partners like your black and white pictures, I will not change it now." Kol tried to keep his temper under control.  
"I'm an artist." Damon blatantly smirked.

"My brother Nik creates art, you snap pictures."  
Both girls tensed in their chairs and looked at each other, Bonnie quickly got the desperate message from Caroline and sweetly touched Damon's hand that was still holding hers tightly.

"Damon… why are you asking for more money?" she asked aware that he had no need for the money at all.  
He pursed his lips looking at her and cupping her chin. "I'm not, little B."

She smiled at him but she was far from understanding what he was trying to tell her.  
Damon stroked her chin and leaned over to kiss her, Caroline closed her eyes praying that Kol wouldn't jump from his chair, fly across the table and tackle Damon to the floor ferociously punching Bonnie's new boyfriend.

But Kol kept it together with poise, even after Bonnie made this tiny happy sound after Damon was done kissing her; Kol remained calm and looking at the couple only now breaking away from each other.  
"As I was saying, I'm not demanding more money." He grinned at Kol. "I won't be charging any money at all."

"What?" Caroline asked too quickly to be even considered polite.  
"I will be doing the photo shoot for free." Damon smiled at Bonnie.

His girlfriend shook her head stunned and then looked at Kol.  
"The company can afford to pay you, if we didn't we wouldn't have contacted you so I appreciate the generosity but we already forged a contract." Kol pushed the papers to Damon again.

"I changed my mind." The other simply said.  
Kol exhaled loudly and close to a snarl.

"I will be doing it for free." Damon added with a smile and faced Bonnie. "And I would love if you were my model."  
Bonnie reeled with the right emotion but decided on surprise. "Are you serious? I have no experience and this is a really important article for **Power**."

He nodded cupping her face. "It will be almost like being home taking pictures only that this time there will be more clothes involved."  
Caroline instantly placed her hand on Kol's arm worried but he merely said. "I think we are done here. You can settle the rest of the details with Bonnie and start shooting when it fits you both." he stood up avoiding looking at Bonnie. "As expected, this has been a true pleasure."

Caroline smiled leaving the table to go after Kol while Damon ignored everything; he was attentively watching Bonnie's reaction to the other man.  
She wasn't oblivious to it and stood up upset. "That was uncalled for Damon."

"What was? Telling others how happy we are? Because that's what you tell me Bonnie; that you are happy with me but of course that every time Kol is in the room you tend to downplay what we have together."  
"That's not true." Bonnie crossed her arms upset.

"Stop making me feel like I'm the second choice Bonnie."  
She sighed running out of patience. "If you were a rebound case, I wouldn't be moving in with you. Grow up Damon and stop being so insecure about Kol, it's really annoying."

Her heels took her away with a loud noise as she stormed away mad.

* * *

"You don't look so well." Stefan said from the hall before Rebekah went inside her room.  
She scorned him coldly. "Go take care of my damaged brother and leave me alone Stefan."

"Why are you so angry with the world?"  
Rebekah tilted her head to look at him. "Because the world sucks."

"Profound Bekah." he shook his head and cupped her face inspecting her eyes against her will.  
She smiled with disdain. "We had sex once Stefan, it hardly gives you the right to be all judgmental now. I lost all the respect I had for you when you fled the room while I was still searching for my underwear."

"Nik would have killed me if he knew that I touched his baby sister." Stefan sternly looked at her when she tried to slap his hand away from her face.  
She laughed in his face. "Maybe I'll tell him now that he can't remember how to use a gun properly."

Stefan lifted one eyebrow. "Are you on drugs?"  
Rebekah grumbled very upset. "I wish everyone would stop asking me that. I only smoked a few things and believe me, they weren't enough to alter my wonderful personality."

"How long has this been going on?" Klaus asked just as he reached the top of the stairs.  
Rebekah's shoulders gave in, like the weight of his voice was enough to bring her down. "Don't stress your little smashed head over it."

Klaus dryly smiled. "Isn't my little sister the really funny one?"  
Stefan lowered his head feeling like the intruder and excused himself leaving the two siblings on the hall to deal with their family affairs.

Rebekah opened her door raring to go inside but before she closed the door on his face Klaus halted her harsh movements, she looked at him furious and then at the hand keeping the door open.  
"I'm not sure why you think a few broken ribs are enough to stop me from going inside that bedroom and destroying your hidden _stash _but I'd appreciate if you were to tone down your attitude."

She almost looked too surprised to speak but still managed a few stumbled words. "Leave my attitude alone." she forced her way inside. "And stay out from my bedroom." she added with anger when he came inside.  
"Kol mentioned that you were on a dark spiral and that you are only doing this to get my attention."

Rebekah laughed with absolutely no will while removing her jacket. "Kol is a nuisance that plagues my life…" she took her time looking at Klaus. "And yours since he _likes _your blonde so much."  
The malice behind her words instantly left Klaus uneasy and she took a special pleasure in it like she did all the times in the past when she poisoned his mind with suspicion about Kol and Caroline.

Klaus licked his lips slowly turning around to leave the room. "Get rid of everything you have concealed in here, I want it all gone by tomorrow."  
She laughed defying him. "It's a bit too late to play the big brother card Nik."

He smiled easily at her by the door. "I'll be spending a lot of time at home from now on, see it as our chance to rekindle the brother and sister bond."  
"I hate you." She childishly said.

"And I would believe you if you weren't so juvenile." he closed the door still smiling.  
Rebekah furiously kicked her bed.

* * *

"I think you handled that really well." Caroline told Kol while looking for her car keys.  
He smiled stopping by a car that wasn't his. "Yes, Damon is a very generous man; I thought I'd just channel the noble Mikaelson in me and be a sport about all this."

Caroline froze suspicious of his strange words and made a face that was somewhere between how crazy he sounded and how distrustful she was of him. Kol beamed and took one of the blades she used to cut fabric from inside his jacket.  
Caroline gasped unable to stop him as he crouched and used the blade to slash one of Damon's tires. "Kol! Have you lost your mind?"

"He obviously doesn't need money…" He mumbled really upset and moving to another wheel.  
Caroline covered her face with her handbag and rushed to her car leaving him alone in the parking lot with his insanity.

* * *

She closed the front door refusing the call from Bonnie with a terrible guilt but she didn't want to have this conversation at all, she was determined to avoid it until she made some kind of sense of the confusion inside her head. A confusion that refused to go away and that Klaus only seemed to enjoy steering up.  
"You are wearing a Henley…" The phrase came with a little gulp in the end of it.

Klaus was waiting for Caroline by the couch wearing a purple long-sleeved cotton Henley, he awkwardly touched his chest. "I wasn't comfortable with the suit."  
Caroline smiled closing her bag. "The classic look was a new thing this year, before that you never parted from your Henleys and necklaces."

"I searched for those but I couldn't find them anywhere."  
Caroline nervously touched her ring, why was he so excited about that? Damn.

"I might have burned them all in an irrational moment of rage…" She said in a low voice.  
His forehead wrinkled in bafflement but he stunned her by laughing, his body shook with it and it all took her back to those happy memories she had with her in the morning. "A vile punishment for my behavior and I'm sure that a fair one as well." Klaus said still laughing.

Caroline took her jacket off desperate to focus on something else than him, it was hard but she was one to try.  
"You look very beautiful." His voice came sweet and deadly.

She kept her eyes on the soft blue blouse she was wearing with a tight skirt. "I had a lot of meetings today." she tried justifying the really classy look she had tonight.  
"Kol mentioned something about a very pivotal phase in your company?"

She smiled delicately lifting her eyes to his. "The latest collection did really well and a lot of the big fashion magazines are showing interest."  
"You've accomplished something very colossal at such a young age."

Caroline squinted not moving from the safety space she was keeping between them.  
"I have searched your name on the internet." He sounded so proud of what he found.

"You weren't upset that I kept my unmarried name?"  
He straight away shook his head. "You were trying to make a name for yourself, I find it very audacious and commendable."

Her smile was followed by a subtle contempt that she disguised by fixing her blonde bangs momentarily hiding her face.  
"Ummm."

She looked up finding a discouraged Klaus.  
"Say no more. We had fights about that as well."

"It's a long list Nik."  
He smiled because of the name and for him that was enough. "I prepared something for us."

Caroline became uneasy as soon as he came closer and reached out his hand to her.  
"I hope you are hungry."

Caroline was speechless before the man with the blazing blue eyes and the warm hand she took but the surprise waiting for her on the garden left her with wobbly legs.  
She jolted her head at once to him. "You did this?"

He faltered a little. "Elijah dealt with the details but I made a list he meticulously followed. He also managed to bring the food from your favourite restaurant."  
Caroline was plain flabbergasted, she looked back at the garden with a table set for dinner, torches leading the way through the path he now walked with her. She even recognized some of Matt's waiters. "You should go back to the hospital because you clearly have lost your mind."

"I also learned today that you love to dance." he said in a low voice.  
Caroline gulped down when she realized there was music around them, she had no idea from where but she wasn't worried about that now, she was shaking because Klaus was lacing an arm around her waist and trapping her hand inside of his.

"Go easy on me because I can't remember if I'm a good dancer, plus I have a few broken items." he easily joked.  
"There are very few things that you are not good at Nik…" she whispered slowly moving with him.

Klaus made sure she looked at him as they danced, he was particularly in love with the way her eyes sparkled against the blue of her blouse and that the torches around them reflected on her eyes; he founded poetic that all that fire danced in her eyes and that he was so involved with everything regarding her.  
"What is all this Nik?"

"I know that I have a long path ahead of me but I figured this was just like knowing you for the first time and trying to make you fall in love with me."  
She gave in a little and her tired features softened up to him. "You don't remember me at all, shouldn't that be a sign that maybe I wasn't that important to you?"

He pulled Caroline closer to him, she was his wife after all and there shouldn't be all that space between them; when he spoke his face was inches away from hers and their bodies were moving too slow and as one. "I know the others by name and some trivial events that do not matter to me."

Her hand gained a life of its own and moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck and her eyes as well danced with his, perhaps a little faster and with more lust than their bodies. "What about me?"

"I _feel _you. It's not locked up in the memories my brain is not giving me access to, it's in my heart. I have you in my heart and he knows who you are and everything that you mean to me. I don't know why I pushed you away before but this is a second chance that very few have and I'm not ready to give you up Caroline."

She did her best to tame the tears making their way fast and lowered her head closing her eyes, she gasped when he rested his face against hers closing his eyes as well.  
"Give me a chance sweetheart; give me a fair chance to make amends. I want my wife back." he whispered while his stubble tickled her face in a soft torture.

Caroline gripped his neck pushing herself against him closing the very tiny space left between them and breathed against his neck, taking in that raw smell of his that never changed and that gave her that home feeling. "I want my husband back too."

* * *

**Soundtrack:**

Say what you want - _Texas _

What you're made of - _Lucy Silvas _

Songbird_ - Fleetwood Mac (Glee Version)_


	5. Respect

Klaus went through the big portfolio, it sort of felt surreal that his name was under all these painting, specially taking into consideration that he didn't find them that good but then again it was a trait so common to all artists, to feel that their work was never good enough.

Distinctively he could tell there were two stages to his work, everything was very detailed in a first phase, he used many colors in the beginning and then it all became darker and somber, the latest paintings revolved around death and the macabre which was a shock to Klaus. He dropped the big showcase Elijah had on his desk unable to stomach most of his work and utterly stunned that many of his paintings were sold over the mark of 5 million dollars.

Elijah arrived to the den leaving his suit jacket on the small couch. "Are you admiring your work?"  
The question came with remarkable irony. "Pondering the possibility of claiming I was mentally ill during the greatest part of it."

Elijah laughed pouring a big drink for himself and waving the bottle at Klaus. "There is a very big market for the grotesque."  
Klaus left the desk but refused the drink. "So you have a gallery..."

Elijah nodded. "It started as a way to properly exhibit your art but soon I found a life passion and now our little gallery is one of the most renowned galleries in the world."  
Klaus smiled with Elijah's proud vibe but he was afraid to tell his brother that he should hide all the paintings he made of severed heads and limbs. Honestly they scared the hell out of him and he still had only seen pictures of it, if he could manage, he would avoid seeing it in real size.

"Do you wish to go by the gallery and see your life achievement in person?" Elijah asked excited.  
Oh, Elijah was the intuitive one apparently. "No, I'm still not feeling that well." Klaus said in a low voice pretending to be far worse than he actually felt.

Elijah grimaced. "Of course brother, take your time. We all want you fully healed and back to us."  
Klaus chuckled with a cocked eyebrow. "Is my sociopath persona that missed?"

Elijah finished his drink slowly. "There was a certain charm about your arrogant self."  
Apparently Elijah was the funny one as well but it reminded him of the other matter urgently in need to be addressed. "Are you aware that Rebekah is experimenting with drugs and trying to ruin her life altogether?"

Oh, a sigh could speak volumes. "I've tried everything with her but she ignores every attempt the family has to help her."  
"Something has to be done."

Elijah looked at his brother with the clear notion that Klaus was pointing a finger at his failure to help Rebekah. "I did all I could for our family Niklaus."  
"I'm not saying you didn't but Rebekah's self-destruction needs to end now."

Elijah traded the glass in his hand for the jacket. "The memory seems to be galloping its way back."  
"Perhaps only my personality." Klaus mumbled.

"I have a few matters at the bank to solve, I will see you later."  
Klaus slumped on the couch once he was alone and after a few huffs, he called Stefan.

_"Is everything ok?"_ Stefan instantly got worried by the call.  
"No, I had a spat with my brother Elijah and I don't even know why I was so angry at him."

_"What was it about?" _Stefan sounded more relaxed now.  
"Rebekah and her _be damned world _attitude."

_"Rebekah has a way to stir up everything around her and it's not always a good thing. She can be quite mean when she wants and most of the times it's just to provoke a mess, of course that she will play innocent later."  
_Klaus decided to have that drink Elijah offered earlier but stopped on the way to pour the beverage with a frown. "How well do you know my sister?"

_"I know all the family really well…" _Stefan quietly answered.  
Klaus was suspicious and dropped the bottle before the liquid came out. "Were you and Rebekah ever an item?"

_"I have this really big surgery and I should get ready for it."  
_Klaus grabbed the bottle angrily. "My best friend and my little sister… I'm not very pleased."

_"This is one of those talks that should have a lot of alcohol in the mix so I'll swing by the house later." _  
Klaus grunted upset but gave up on the drink and the call.

He left to wander through the empty house, it was awfully big and he felt like a stranger in it. He didn't recognize anything in particular and the random walk only took him back to the living room where he had all the pictures of him and Caroline scattered on the table.

His beautiful angel.  
Klaus smiled leaving the pictures behind and headed for the kitchen, he opened the fridge and stared inside for a couple of minutes, he was getting hungry but he grimaced upon the dreadful idea of eating alone in the monstrous house. He loathed the way his footsteps echoed through the cold and dark house and he could already picture himself sitting at the long table eating and counting the empty chairs around him.

Wait.  
Klaus closed the door of the fridge with a bright idea making its way; he smirked grabbing the keys and leaving the house quickly.

* * *

Kol looked up from his phone when the elevator stopped, it wasn't his floor and apparently it wasn't his day because Damon came inside the elevator.  
The dark-haired man pushed the button of the floor he was headed and looked at Kol that returned his focus back to the phone. "You should get security cameras on the parking lot, my car was vandalized."

"I will use the money from the fee that you so generously refused." Kol said with a hint of a smile.  
"What time did you leave yesterday?" Damon asked him with a small anger smell in the air.

The elevator stopped again and Kol faced Damon with a smirk. "This is my floor."  
Damon held the door just as Kol was about to leave. "It will take a lot more than a few slashed tires to push me away from Bonnie."

"I'm hoping that your wonderful qualities will do the trick."  
"She is in love with me." Damon lost the smile.

But Kol widened his. "In the old days we would settle this with ten footsteps between us and a gun pointed at the heart."  
"She moved on so let it go Kol."

The Mikaelson nodded smile free now. "Of course Damon." He padded the other man's shoulder and then smirked as he faced away from him, before he left the elevator Kol ran his hand over all the buttons.  
"Are you ten?" Damon grumbled as the doors closed.

Kol chuckled truly amused but Caroline killed his joy.  
"I agree with Damon."

"Nonsense darling, I'm the CEO of this company." Kol tried to sound very businesslike.  
Caroline lifted her eyebrow and started reading the message he just sent her when he was inside the elevator. _"Die Damon die. Die."_

Kol gave her a dry laughter. "I was being sarcastic; I only needed him to die once."  
Caroline laughed shaking her head and going into the other hall while he entered his office. Before she reached hers, she smiled at her secretary.  
"Any messages Nicole?"

The girl was definitely busy trying to get everything under control, Bonnie had left a stack of things to be done today and she was still handling the last details for Caroline's Vogue interview. "Yes…" she moved her hands over all the files and papers in her secretary. "They are here somewhere." She apologized with a big smile for Caroline.

Her boss found the image funny instead of unprofessional and pointed at the computer screen where a few post-it hang.  
Nicole closed her eyes for a second, of course. She reached for the colorful papers and handed them to Caroline. "Here are your messages."

Caroline was used to Nicole's unique ways by now and left her to mind over her _organized _mess.  
"Oh by the way, there's someone in your office to see you." Nicole leaned over the counter to tell Caroline.

The blonde frowned with the smile on her secretary and opened the door of her office very unsure of whom to find. Without a doubt the man in the bright blue Henley shirt was an unforeseen visit.  
"What a surprise Mr. Mikaelson." She neared her desk with a genuine smile.

Klaus smiled without lifting his eyes from the pad with a few of her drawings, they were obviously for her new collection, things she was experimenting with. It was quite fascinating for him to catch a glimpse of her glorious mind and he looked at her truly enchanted. "I really like your lines."

Caroline left the little notes on her desk, sticking them slowly to the black folder there and before she answered him, there was a gentle shake of her head. "Thank you professor."  
Klaus loved the sweetness in her voice. "You can tell a lot from someone's lines, what kind of an artist they are."

Caroline was struck serious, the words felt terribly familiar to her. "What kind of an artist am I?"  
Klaus couldn't shake the feeling she was testing him but he was honest in his answer. "I can tell that you are a free artist, one whose mind isn't confined to any limits."

She released a small sigh and rested against her desk, Caroline stared at her ankle boots when a smile graced her red lips. "You always were a very inspirational and passionate teacher Nik."  
It was cruel the way his chest always ached that certain way when she looked at him and when she raised her head it hit him as strong as all the other times. "So I did something right after all?"

He made her laugh because he sounded so discouraged. "Why are you here Klaus?"  
"Would you give me the honor of having lunch with me?"

"I have work…"  
He could be wrong but she didn't sound too determined in her soft denial. "That's a shame… I drove all the way here set on having your company but I respect your wish." He touched the side still wrapped in bandage.

"Why did you drive? Why haven't you called a taxi?" She hauled away from her desk worried and lifted his shirt to check on him.  
Klaus cunningly smiled and admired the beauty so close to him, she casually looked at him and instantly stopped when she saw his mischievous lie.

"Seriously?" She scolded him.  
"You smell really nice." He sweetly said.

Caroline clasped her lips upset and pressed her thumb against his wound. "Not acceptable Niklaus."  
He mouthed a complaining sound but smiled amused when she pushed his shirt down but didn't leave his proximity.

Instead she crossed her arms glaring him. "You came in a taxi didn't you?"  
"I wanted to see you." Klaus lowered his chin a bit and gave her a pair of flawless puppy eyes.

She warned him with a fierce scowl and motioned to turn her back on him but Klaus swiftly cupped her face making her stay where she was, Caroline gulped down with the touch.  
"Please have lunch with me." He whispered stroking the soft skin under his thumbs.

"I have to clear my schedule…" she gave in, like she always did when he looked at her like that. Like she was the only woman in the world.  
Klaus smiled happy when she left the office to go see her secretary; one battle at a time.

There was a soft knock on the door and Klaus beamed expecting Caroline's return but Bonnie was the one coming inside the office; obviously she stopped when she found Klaus instead.  
"I was looking for Care…"

"She's clearing her afternoon; we are going to have lunch together." Klaus informed the girl.  
"I'm Bonnie." She introduced herself.

"I saw the pictures and the video my brother Kol made at the wedding."  
Bonnie nodded and looked behind her;instantly he knew she had something important to say.

"I'll go straight to the point because I like being direct. We don't get along at all, I hate you and I think that my best friend did the biggest mistake of her life by marrying you."  
"Everyone has been very verbal about that."

"Because no one understands why Caroline insisted on staying in a marriage that was only making her unhappy."  
"Because I was disconnected and cold." Klaus fished for anything here. The best way to make amends was to know from the best friend exactly which sins Caroline was most hurt about.

But one should be prepared for anything and he wasn't.  
Bonnie's hatred for him was oozing of every tense muscle in her body and he expected her to cross her arms in a clear attempt to not go over him and slap him hard. Klaus became nervous when she didn't cross her arms.

"My best friend is the sweetest person I know, she is full of life and kind and I wanted her to be happy so I supported her when she wanted to get married. I was there by her side and I watched her fall in love, I watched her start to have doubts when your lunatic family came into the big picture and I was there when everything started crumbling apart."  
Klaus could tell the sadness in Bonnie was real and he really feared what she would say next but he had to know. "What did I do?"

Bonnie knew the man now looking at her with a broken look in his eyes was not the same that she really hated but she couldn't forgive him anyway. "Caroline wanted a baby, she wanted to be a mother more than anything and you denied her that. I think that your exact words at the time were, _I don't have time to be a father_?"

Surely being hit by a car again would cause less damage and pain. He knew that and he knew now the true ramifications of his devious behavior.  
Bonnie left him very little room to heal. "I told her to leave your selfish ass but she was in love and you always found your way back into her heart. Every time you came back from a long trip you waved that chance of giving her a true family and every single time you broke her heart all over again."

"That's enough Bonnie." Caroline said from the door startling both.  
Her friend wasn't pleased because she had a lot more to tell Klaus but Caroline held the door for her and Bonnie knew there would be a very serious talk between them in the near future but exited quietly.

For the first time since the accident Klaus wasn't able to look at her in the eyes and Caroline took the first step towards him. "She is taking things out of context… I told her something that was meant to be kept between us…" Caroline touched his arm hoping he would look at her.

"I told Stefan that maybe my mind was keeping something terrible locked away but I was far from guessing I was simply trying to forget that a man like me does not deserve a woman like you." He looked up at her. "At all."

She closed the gap between them and this time she was the one cradling his face between her hands. "We have a second chance Nik, you said it yourself and you made me believe in it."  
"This Nik that I am now… is struggling to remember things that I should be forgetting so I don't really know who I am at the moment."

Her hands lowered to his neck and everything fell into place, her soothing niche had always been that place where he allowed her to be close to him and Caroline smiled with a sparkle in her eyes, undecided if the tears would come just yet. "You asked me for a fair chance to fight for this marriage, I'm making you stand by those words because I deserve this; I deserve to know if you love me enough to change everything that was destroying us."

Klaus nodded and took one of her hands placing a kiss on it, he kept it close to his heart and then he wrapped a hand around her neck and pulled her closer to him, Caroline buried her head in the crook his neck. "I owe you that much." He whispered holding her close.

* * *

"Can you try not to come off so sexy? It's not working at all." Damon snapped at the skinny model attempting a pouting expression in every single shot.  
The girl smiled but did the exact same face in the next set of pictures.

"Ok, we are done. Send me the next model." Damon snapped grabbing a water bottle and resting his camera.  
The model tried to say something but he only raised his hand like that would prevent the sound from reaching him, the assistant took her away going by a fuming Bonnie.  
She reached Damon that was not pleased with what he had so far.

"Are you sure you don't want to be my model? I hate everyone they have sent me today." Damon widened his eyes exasperated.  
She barely smiled. "I bumped into Klaus."

Damon pushed her dark hair away from her face stroking her cheek. "Did he survive?"  
Bonnie huffed into a small laughter. "I just want Caroline to be happy."

"Aren't you trying too hard? I mean, she loves the guy and he just got reprogrammed so maybe she can fix him."  
"He won't change and she will only get hurt, even more this time because her hopes are so high."

Damon sighed and rested his hands on her lower back; he made sure she came closer to him before he spoke. "And if he screws up you will be there to help her but for now, let her decide what she wants to do with her life and her damaged doll."  
Bonnie poked his chest. "Why are you being so adult and wise? I'm only with you because of the great sex but now I have to add wisdom to the mix?"

He gave her a naughty smile. "I like keeping things interesting."  
"Don't get distracted by the models and there might be something very interesting happening tonight." She teased him.

Damon's hands became as naughty as his smile and she melted against him before answering a deep kiss that made her pull his dark hair.

* * *

"Someone will take your order in a little bit." The girl in the fancy dress said and left the couple alone.  
Klaus looked around the really expensive restaurant. "This is a favorite?"

Caroline placed the napkin on her lap. "You have lunch here every time you are in town and I'm sure you know the name of that girl."  
Klaus leaned a little on the table searching for the one that just guided them to the table. "No, not really."

She gave him a look leaning her head a bit to the side; he on the other hand offered her a big smile with dimples.  
"Well maybe not right now…" Caroline said but drifted her eyes and her attention towards a loud commotion in another table.

The three men laughing loudly and having long cigars instantly took her appetite away but she tried to keep it concealed from Klaus.  
Thankfully he was busy reading the Menu and she tried to read hers but the irritating laughter carried on until what she feared the most happened. One the men left the table and paced quickly towards her and Klaus.

"Klaus? Hey, it's really you." He said loudly and opening his hands, the ashes from his cigar dropped on her side of the table.  
Klaus looked at the man with a grave squint. "I'm sorry but who are you?"

The man laughed obnoxiously loud and looked back at his table. "This guy…" he pointed at Klaus.  
Klaus searched for Caroline's guidance but she resumed to cleaning the disgusting ashes without looking up.

The man dropped his hand on Klaus' shoulder roughly. "I almost didn't recognize you without the suit." He laughed and hit Klaus with an awful strong taste of wine; surely he had finished one bottle all alone. "Come over to our table."  
Klaus politely smiled. "In case you haven't noticed mate I'm having lunch with my wife."

The guy chuckled and looked at Caroline; he pulled his lips barely forming a smile and then lowered his head speaking to Klaus in a low voice. "Carl sold another painting and we are celebrating at my house later, a small poker game and a few college girls always so eager to learn." He licked his lips disgustingly. "I know what you are going to say, that you don't like when we have the girls around but you never touch them anyway, plus Carl really loves losing his money in poker so I expect you _Chez Max_ tonight."

"Max... is it?" Klaus dropped the menu on the table slowly.  
The other man looked at him confused. "What's with you?"

"I'm seconds away from slamming your face against this table and then graciously ask you to apologize to my wife for the outstanding lack of respect you just showed."  
Caroline had been folding the napkin occupying herself while Max as usual repulsively invited Klaus to one of his _parties. _It always meant Klaus was spending the night out and returning home drunk the next day, but she froze with Klaus' reaction and looked at him across the table.

Klaus was inches away from breaking Max's nose for the visceral act before Caroline and he wasn't a bit amused that Max took his words as a joke.  
Max laughed but jittery. "Are you serious?"

Klaus closed his hand in a fist; he clenched his jaw and tilted his head to the side. "Apologize to my wife and then take that hand off my shoulder before I break it in two."  
Max gulped down, the only time any of them saw Klaus like this was when Carl made a silly comment about inviting Rebekah to the parties; back then it took three men to hold Klaus down and he still managed to beat Carl into a pulp.

"Now mate." Klaus eerily said.  
Max removed his hand away from Klaus' reach and faced Caroline. "I'm sorry for the interruption."

When Klaus twitched in his seat, Max added. "And for being rude and disrespectful to you, I'm going back to my table now." He rushed away.  
Caroline was definitely in a daze and looked at Klaus that was still trying to tame his anger. "Thank you..." she said a bit incredulous that he actually put her first than his _friends_.

He had his water in one take but he could use something stronger.  
Caroline grabbed her bag and stood up from the table. "Come on, let's get out of here."

He smiled relieved that she wanted to leave and glanced over to Max's table, the man winced in his place terrified of Klaus.

* * *

"Where are we?" Klaus asked tired as they finally reached the top of the old staircase.  
Caroline fought with the door lock, she tried to move the key but it wouldn't budge.

"Do you need help sweetheart?"  
Caroline looked back at the man holding all their food. "There is a trick to it, I haven't been here for a while but I will get it."

Klaus nodded with a smile and looked inside the bag, the Chinese food really looked good.  
After a little shoulder bump that pulled a chuckle from Klaus, Caroline managed to open the door. "Welcome to your old house."

Klaus lost the smile and followed Caroline; his steps weren't steady as he came inside.  
Caroline pulled the curtains apart from the two big wall windows shedding light inside the loft, it wasn't too spacious but there was a bed and a few plies of books. But Klaus undeniably found the set of canvases and oil settings by the windows the most appealing.

"This is your old studio." Caroline said sweetly to him.  
He smiled while she took the food away from him. "I'm slightly confused."

She found the sheets in the old trunk and stretched one on the floor next to the bed; she improvised a picnic on the spot and took her boots off so that she was comfortable. "You were a loner Nik and a rebel, you weren't that close to your family and insisted on making it without the family's fortune. When we got married Elijah convinced you to move into the big mansion. It was a way to force you to reconnect with the family but I don't think it really worked like it was supposed to."

Klaus sat in front of her perplexed. "So I lived here."  
She nodded handing him a box of Chinese food. "You wanted to sell it after we moved in to the mansion but I couldn't part from it."

"Are there many memories attached to this loft?"  
Caroline rubbed her foot tired. "I spent a lot of my time here with you."

Klaus attentively looked at her.  
"Studying for college while you painted." She added a bit hurriedly.

He smirked into his food.  
"I just thought that it would be a good idea if you went back to your roots a bit."

How was he even allowed to not fall in love with this woman all over again? Klaus watched the woman wearing a dark green dress that only hugged one of her shoulders, she still looked so tired to him and Klaus caught her stroking her leg.  
"That stunt back at the restaurant really made my heart race."

He was upset just remembering it. "I hope to never cross paths with him again."  
"I think he will run down the street the next time he sees you."

"Good, I won't tolerate any sort of contempt towards you." He was very assertive.  
And hot which had her breaking eye contact with him and reaching for her foot but she jumped a little because he took her foot instead with his big hands, Klaus gently stretched her leg to him and then began to massage her foot.

"You don't have to do that." She whispered unable to speak up because he was too good with his hands.  
"My wife is tired; I'd like to ease some of her weariness."

Caroline touched her forehead closing her eyes, what he was doing felt too good; slowly she opened her eyes and found him smiling at her. Such torture. "I have a confession Nik."  
He pressed her heel with the perfect amount of pressure and she had no choice but to moan, it seemed to erase a year of bad things all built up in her tense body. "I'm listening." His voice came husky and slow.

Caroline rubbed her neck wishing his hands would move there but instead he took her other foot which was fine as well. "I saw you first; on my freshman year at college, I was looking for my dorm when I saw you coming out of the library and you literally took my breath away. I thought you were the most beautiful man that I had ever seen and I didn't rest until I got into your art class during my sophomore year."

He moved his head giving her a single sided nod. "So the version you provided me at the hospital wasn't very accurate."  
Caroline laughed which was a sight. "I took some liberties with it…"

His hand moved to her ankle and all that milk skin of hers was literally burning. "Did I put much of a fight love?" his heavy voice came loaded with accent.  
"It was a decent fight..." She said in a slow sexy way.

Klaus rested her foot against his chest and gave her a very serious look. "When the first chance presented itself you threw me on my desk and ravaged me without mercy didn't you?"  
Caroline held back a roaring laughter but still laughed, he simply smiled mesmerized with the view of a happy Caroline for a change.

She calmed down a little and rested her other foot against his chest with an attitude. "But if that desk could talk."  
Klaus pointed at her with a soft gasp. "But I want it to talk, that's exactly the kind of memory that I need to be recalling."

Caroline laughed again, at ease now and she even threw her head back a little.  
"It's for the greater good so I expect a lot of details." He sounded convicted that she would start describing their past sexual instalments.

But Caroline gave him a smouldering look in response and his hands moved to the soft calf of her legs, Caroline rested her weight in her palms siding her body and arched her back a little bit.  
She closed her eyes and dropped her head back enjoying his strong hands massaging her skin, she wasn't about to start talking about their sex life, she was in danger of showing him just how passionate they could be.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

It feels like something - David Fonseca

Statues - Nina Nesbit

All of me - John Legend


	6. Not over yet

**Halloween 2009**

His entire body shook and Caroline tried to sneak a closer look by moving a little from where she was; now that the girl in front of her wasn't blocking her view any longer, she had a better look at the man laughing with a small group of students.

Caroline knew one or two of them from her art class but the rest she had only seen around Campus; she considered joining the conversation but they might not welcome her and she needed to be as flawless as she could around him, confidence was a must for that.  
He looked at his empty cup and around the room, Caroline knew this was her chance and stopped a random girl who was walking by, she took the girl's empty cup handing hers instead; the girl was confused but happy to have beer again.

Klaus fondled with the few bottles left, like all good college parties the good alcohol was disappearing fast and soon he would be left with only beer which wasn't really his cup of tea.  
"If you find any good Scotch, I want some as well."

The young secure voice made him turn and Klaus forgot how to blink for a second because in front of him stood a striking blonde in a white dress, the look was a perfect visual rendering of Marilyn Monroe but he didn't recall her being this perfect.  
The blonde smiled handing him an empty cup and Klaus fought with his brain because coming of as a retarded man would not impress the beautiful girl with big blue eyes and white ivory skin that gave her an exquisite look.

"If I find anything, I shall save the best for you." he said with the most amazing smile.  
She laughed happy and gave a small step closing some of the gap between them, as she did so a powerful scent hit him. She smelled like roses and he also noticed the red full lips that she lazily licked while looking down from him, bloody hell he knew better than to fall for a college girl routine but his brain was not under his control today.

"Are you enjoying the party?" the eyes behind the long lashes searched his.  
"I'm not a regular at these but a group of my students are leaving this week to Europe and we are having a bit of a farewell."

She nodded always with that smile and grew a little closer to him, he was everything but a gentleman as he wandered his eyes to her cleavage but the girl was just stunning, no one could blame him. Quickly he regained his manners and frantically searched for a drink, when he found a decent Bourbon he filled her cup first.  
"Thank you Professor Mikaelson." she took her drink with a smoldering smile.

He lowered his chin scolding her for the straight forward flirt, he was used to it but still it felt a little askew. "It is not remotely fair that you know who I am when I am completely oblivious to your name."  
"Of course you know who I am, I'm Marilyn." she gave her head a little movement and her amazing hair flew naturally across her bare shoulder. "At least tonight I am..."

"And tomorrow?" Damn, he knew better but the question was out before he thought about it.  
"Tomorrow I'm Caroline Forbes, a fan of your art classes Professor Mikaelson."

"Tonight I'm not an Academic and I don't belong to the University department so perhaps you could stop making me feel so out-of-place Miss Forbes." he joked a little but had his drink for comfort, she was strangely messing with his smug attire.  
"Seriously? So tonight you are just one of us… a lot of kinky stuff happens during these parties…" she said sweetly but bluntly.

Klaus choked on his drink and coughed covering his mouth while she grinned into her cup visibly toying with him.  
"I should go back to my students Miss Forbes." he regained his cool status after the mildly embarrassment.

"Call me Caroline… Niklaus." she gently said and before he knew what hit him, she was touching his big hand and making a small circle pattern with her finger.  
"That's still Professor Mikaelson for you sweetheart…" he said enchanted with the soft face so close to him but unable to restrain a smirk.

Caroline began to laugh and he easily followed her, she took her hand away from his, recoiling to her respectful position of apprentice.  
Klaus shook his head a bit. "I really should go back to my ensemble… it was a pleasure love."

"I just wanted to tell you that you are my favorite teacher, ever." she lost the smug flirt and smile and became honest and serious. "I love art and I love how passionate you are about it and how you push us forward, that group of students leaving tomorrow for Europe are going to an exhibition of their work because you encouraged and supported them and I think that's just amazing and I hope you know that a lot of us are inspired daily by your powerful way of teaching. I'm honored to be part of that big group of students filling your classroom every day."  
She smiled sweetly and then turned around leaving Klaus flabbergasted and speechless behind.

Caroline left the party with a happy sigh and rushed to her friend that was enjoying a cigarette in the parking lot.  
Bonnie startled with the hug that came out of nowhere. "Wow someone is very happy and it's not me because my illegal smoke isn't working yet."

Caroline giggled letting her friend go, she fixed the little head band that Bonnie had. "I just talked to the future father of my babies."  
Bonnie took a longer drag from her smoke and fixed the beaded black dress that fitted her perfectly. "Caroline, I'm smoking weed in the parking lot looking like a 20's flapper girl and you are talking about babies…"

Caroline laughed moving her hand. "Silly Bon, I had a 5 minute conversation with Professor Niklaus Mikaelson; second son to the richest and eldest family in the South, 26 year-old and all around perfect man." Caroline tilted her head sighing loudly.  
"Oh, _that_ one." Bonnie mocked her. "Did you tell him that you are planning a June wedding with him?"

Caroline denied it with her head. "I didn't want to come across too intense during our first talk."  
"You mean the first that you didn't practice in front of the mirror back at our dorm?"

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "Make fun all you want Bonnie Bennett but you mark my words, one day I will be Mrs. Niklaus Mikaelson."  
Bonnie had no doubt whatsoever, once Caroline had a goal she always made it happen.

* * *

**2013**

"All bandage free." Stefan signed the medical chart clearing Klaus from any further heart tests as well. "I'm still a little hesitant about that small default in your heart but the tests came out all negative, we just need to wait and see now." he closed his pen and smiled at Klaus.  
His friend pushed the shirt down his chest beaming that he was free from the visits to the hospital.

"Well I will miss having the pretty face to see around here." April grabbed the ruined bandages taking them to the hazard garbage. "You always brightened up the nurses' day." she cutely said.  
"But you have the dashing doctor around all day." Klaus pointed at Stefan.

"Some of us don't get a chance to work with him… unless we have chocolate eyes and a heart of gold." she spiked Stefan.  
He coughed with a fake scold and she laughed leaving the two men alone.

"Are you cheating on my sister?" Klaus whispered coming of serious.  
Stefan returned with an actual scold this time. "It was at your wedding, there was a lot of pink champagne and she seduced me… it was a one time thing."

"That I didn't know about…"  
"The last guy Rebekah took home was chased away by one of you holding a gun, I'm not sure if it was you or Kol but everyone in that family has a serious problem when it comes to accept that Rebekah has sex."

Klaus cringed with the words and left the bed he was sitting on, he grabbed his jacket and left the infirmary with Stefan. "Any chance we can have lunch today?"  
Stefan searched for his phone inside his Scrubs. "I have a surgery but I'll buy you coffee."

After a quick stop by the nearest coffee stand they sat outside the hospital in a bench taking advantage of the sunny day.  
"So how are things with Caroline?" Stefan asked his friend with a warm smile.

"Moving along and the memories are slowly returning which is good I suppose."  
Stefan's silence was a loud statement that he knew Klaus too well and his best friend opened his arms a little. "I'm trying not to lose her."

"It can't be easy on her, she was living with someone and then you changed and now you are neither of the men she knew."  
"I keep looking at her and going around in circles in my head, wondering how I could do all the things I'm learning that I did to her."

"I think that it means a lot that you are so determined to change it all and save your marriage."  
"All I want is to be around her, to look at her. To listen to her sweet voice and watch the way she wrinkles her lips and restrains from saying _Seriously_ in every sentence…" Klaus smiled tongue-tied. "I want to kiss her and whisper how much I find her awe striking but I'm terrified of destroying the little we have left between us that hasn't been terribly shattered by my previous deeds."

"And just like that I'm taken back to 2009 when you called me all worried that you might do something really stupid like getting involved with a student."  
"Thank you for not doing anything to stop me." Klaus smirked.

"Like you ever listen to me? When we were in college, I said that mixing Scotch with Tequila was a terrible awful idea but you didn't listen and we both ended up in the hospital."  
Klaus burst into laughter, he found the memory funny and Stefan laughed as well; he had his coffee and then leaned over resting his elbows on his legs.

"There's just something about you and Caroline that defies logic and whether you believe in destiny or God, or anything greater than us; the truth is that you are drawn to each other and nothing seems to be strong enough to drive you apart."  
Klaus had his coffee thoughtful but also hopeful that Stefan was right.

* * *

The elevator opened but Bonnie hesitated before coming out because Caroline was waiting for her with folded arms and a grave expression.  
"Hi…" Bonnie ventured a smile stepping outside. "I haven't seen you all day... love the scarf." she pointed at the magnificent brown scarf that Caroline was wearing over the black outfit today.

"Nice skirt." Caroline returned the compliment recognizing the ruffled piece from one of their collections. "And you have been avoiding me all day."  
"Damon is doing a great job with the photo shoot, I was mostly there and then I went to the factory." Bonnie walked to her office quickly averting a conversation that was inevitable.

Caroline pointed at Nicole sternly. "Hold all calls, we are going to have a very important meeting."  
Nicole nodded frowning a little when she caught Bonnie's troubled look.

"Don't you want to have a seat for the really important meeting?" Bonnie mused dropping her things on the desk.  
"I rather stand while I ask what the hell you were thinking."

Bonnie sat on her chair with a huff. "No one is holding back on Klaus, why should I?"  
"You had no right to tell him about the baby, what he told me at the time happened when I thought I was pregnant and we were both taking off with our careers, of course that it didn't make sense to have a baby back then."

"You are making excuses for him again because I know how devastated you were."  
"Because I really thought that I was pregnant and I had no idea if I wanted a baby when he was going back and forth to Amsterdam and I was sowing dresses until 4 am to make sure we finished our first collection."

"It's been three years Caroline and the subject has been kindly put to rest because Klaus doesn't want to be a father."  
"Klaus' decisions and desires do not concern anyone but me."

"How about yours? Are you going to keep forfeiting those just to keep him happy?"  
Caroline smoothed her scarf making sure she looked flawless. "I love my husband and it may not make any sense to you but choosing to leave him was the hardest thing I ever had to do and I still wasn't sure if I could go through with it."

"That's not love…" Bonnie opened her I Pad visibly ending the meeting on her side.  
But Caroline Forbes Mikaelson was everything but easily pushed to a corner. "Fighting for a life I have built with Klaus is love, cowardly moving on to the first guy that called you pretty after a fight with Kol is not love."

Bonnie gulped down the acid answer she wanted to shot back at Caroline and kept her eyes down. "I was hurt…" she simply said.  
"We are all hurt but I didn't pick sides when you and Kol decided to start a _War of the Roses_."

Bonnie closed the I Pad and nodded knowing Caroline was right.  
"My husband didn't just lose his memory, he lost our story. Every single look we shared and every word between us, everything that he ever told me Bonnie is gone, he doesn't remember all the times he said that I was beautiful or how much he loved me. That accident took away our first kiss and the first time we made love…" Caroline's voice came hoarse and loaded with pain. "Our wedding night exists only in my memories now because he doesn't remember how happy I was to be his wife and that is painful but I can't give up on him now, not when I catch myself sneaking a look at him and always find him already looking at me. Nothing of what made us, of what was our journey until that night is part of him now but since he woke up in that hospital bed that he has been fighting for a love that he doesn't remember. He has been fighting for me even when he doesn't remember who I am and what I meant to him."

"I'm sorry for coming off so disapproving but I just don't want you to get hurt again." Bonnie softened up.  
"Then support me in this…" Caroline begged.

Bonnie left her desk fast and hugged Caroline tight. "It's not like I have any choice, you are like a sister to me Care and I will always support you even when I believe that you are doing the biggest mistake of your life."  
Caroline smiled through her tears. "Thank you Bonnie…"

"No one can say no to you once you start crying…" Bonnie sighed the horrifying truth.

* * *

Elijah left the house den meeting Klaus half way as his brother came inside the mansion. "I heard your car arriving to the driveway, do you mind coming with me? I have a matter that requires your attention with some urgency."  
Klaus nodded with a suspicious expression, this sure didn't sound good at all; he closed the door to the office and came near the table where Elijah had a bunch of papers waiting for them.

Elijah picked a few of them and handed a pen to Klaus as well. "I need your signature in these."  
"What am I looking at?" Klaus asked without taking the pen and reading the papers instead.

"It's just a formality that the bank requires since you have been involved in a car accident, nothing much, just a small signature granting me a few small liberties to take care of our business until you get back to your full strength."  
"I lost my memory Elijah, I haven't become senile or suddenly dumb." he faced his brother. "This is a power of attorney granting you full authorization to represent or act in my behalf regarding all my affairs."

"The bank might become a little reticent if they find out that you are not in your full capacity to make important decisions." Elijah left the desk and neared his brother with fondness. "It's just a precaution brother."  
"I'll make the decisions with Caroline, she will help me fill all the blanks and whatever needs to be addressed we'll discuss it together."

Elijah hit the pen against his hand uneasily and then ran his hand through the tie, instantly Klaus could tell that something was wrong.  
"About Caroline…" Elijah cautiously started. "She doesn't have the power to make any decisions regarding your money or the gallery."

Klaus squinted. "What do you mean?"  
"She signed a prenuptial marriage agreement declining any rights to our fortune or to any financial growth that occurred during your marriage."

Klaus doubted that he heard right but he still tried to understand what Elijah just told him. "Are you telling me that Caroline has no access to my money?"  
"She has her own company now and a small fortune on her own, she has no need for our money." Elijah easily smiled; Klaus was being melodramatic with no reason.

"What would happen if I died?" Klaus confronted his brother without a shred of a smile.  
"I wouldn't have been callous to the point of not giving her a monthly generous fee." Elijah was very formal about it at once.

"If I died in that car accident my wife would have not been able to access any of my money, I would have left her with nothing." Klaus' shock was turning to anger very fast.  
"It was all settled before your sudden wedding, it was done with respect and Caroline was the first to say that she didn't want to have anything to do your fortune, that she would sign anything. So we had a written agreement stating exactly that."

Klaus clasped his lips thoroughly upset and tore the papers in his hands dropping the pieces to the floor. "I'm ashamed to have brought Caroline into this family."  
Elijah was not happy and lost the easiness in him. "Do not speak like that Niklaus, I've allowed you to pursue the artist dream and to live away from this family but when you came home with a girl that we knew nothing about I had to protect the family. There are two other younger siblings whose fortune and interests I had to cover, so I'm sorry if that included protecting your share of the wealth I worked hard to maintain and increase over the years."

"Part of that huge heritage comes from my work so I don't care how you convinced me in the past to agree with this situation, I'm changing it now. Call your contacts on the bank and set a meeting, everything that I own will be in Caroline's name as well." Klaus left the den leaving his wish as the last word.  
But Elijah followed him still struggling to accept it. "Niklaus you are being hasty in your decision."

Klaus faced his brother with a vile rage erupting. "Everything that I own Elijah, every last penny and every piece of land, paper or painting that has my name on it will have Caroline's." he shouted so mad that he missed Kol arriving home.  
Elijah tapered his lips visibly distressed but the younger Mikaelson nodded impressed in contradiction.

"Finally this family has decided to stop treating Caroline like a gold digger, I'm proud of you Nik." he quietly said exiting at once towards the rooms.  
"Niklaus…" Elijah foolishly tried yet again.

"If you don't set the meeting, I will go to the bank tomorrow and handle everything. I'm still capable of finding a good lawyer if I have to."  
Elijah was offended since he was the one that handled all the law issues in the family. "The few years under my belt as a lawyer have not disappointed you in the past."

"All but those." Klaus dropped disenchanted and left after Kol.

He caught up with the other sibling but Kol was already involved in a fight of his own, he was trying to get inside Rebekah's room.  
"Open this door right now Bekah." Kol shouted trying the door that was locked from the inside.

"Go… away." she answered with a snappy voice.  
He punched the door mad and looked at Klaus that stopped near him. "I caught her dealer leaving the driveway, I tried to block his car but he got away. I swear to God that I will catch him one of these days and I will kill him with my own hands."

"I'll hold him down for you." Klaus moved away from the door and so did Kol.  
They both hit the door with their shoulders making the lock give in, they barged into Rebekah's room startling her just as she prepared to hide her stash inside the doll house she had since she was 10.

"Out!" She yelled at them but with no practical consequence.  
Klaus easily snatched the bag of random pills from her hand while Kol held her down when she tried to hit Klaus.

Kol pushed her away from them with a warning finger in her face. "Don't even breathe."  
"I want you both out of my room." she screamed enraged.

"We are on our way out." Klaus searched for anything she had inside the pink doll house.  
"You have no right to be in here or to do this…" she paced around while Kol went through her drawers.

"I'm a little tired of witnessing you wreck your life Bekah." Kol snapped when he found a small bag with weed. "What are you even doing?"  
"Having more fun that you." she was snarky in her answer.

"I see…" Kol put away the weed and grabbed her arm; he dragged her along to the bathroom and swiftly picked her up dropping her inside the tub. "Then it's time you cool down all that James Dean in you."  
Rebekah shrieked and yelled as the ice-cold water hit her, she tried to get away but Kol held her under the water. "I hate you Kol, I hate all of you." she kept on fighting him and yelling. "I hate this family so much."

Kol dodged a fierce punch that would have hit him straight in the face as she stood up slipping. "And you show it every day by doing all the stupid things you can think of."  
"Let me out moron, I'm freezing in here."

"Good, then your body will match that slow brain of yours."  
"Stop it. Let me out Kol…" she tried to fight him harder. "You can't do this to me..."

A set of heels came into the room and then entered the bathroom. "Kol… let your sister go." Caroline urged him.

"She doesn't listen to anyone and she's just throwing her life away as some sort of rebel act that ceased to impress us a year ago."  
Caroline picked a big towel from the cabinet and got in the middle of Kol and Rebekah forcing him to let his sister go, she closed the water and wrapped the towel around the shaking girl.

"And she's not going to see the changes she needs in her life under the freezing water, she might catch pneumonia and end up in the hospital." she scoffed Kol. "Go away and don't come near Rebekah until you have that nasty temper under control."  
The hazelnut-haired Mikaelson left them knowing he couldn't do anything now that Caroline was here and that she was probably right.

"Wanker!" Rebekah shouted between harsh tears.  
Caroline tried to warm Rebekah's body by rubbing her arms. "We need to get you out of these clothes…"

Rebekah broke down sitting in the tub buried in tears, her body shook with them and surprisingly she didn't fight Caroline when she comforted her by holding her close.  
Caroline looked up when Klaus crouched next to them, he touched her hand silently asking her to let Rebekah go; she did as asked and Klaus scooped his sister in his arms carrying her to the bedroom and gently placing her on the bed.

Rebekah seemed to cry harder with the act and instead of letting his neck go once she reached the bed, Rebekah held on to him closer and tighter; Klaus sat on the bed shifting his initial aspiration and held her closely to him while she simply cried taken by the feeling of having her brother this close.  
Caroline leaned against the threshold watching them, affected by it as well.

* * *

Bonnie kicked the machine, not only it ate her money it also decided to stop working all together before giving her chocolate, she yelled furious and kicked it again.  
"Killing a machine is not technically a crime yet but you look hot when you are breaking the law." Kol teased her leaving the elevator and watching the show.

Bonnie slapped the machine again. "It decided to stop working."  
"And we both know how homicidal you get when you don't get your chocolate."

Bonnie blew her hair out of the way and leaned against the machine. "I'm going to hurt someone if I don't eat chocolate."  
"Or you go straight to the source, I know why you are craving for chocolate; you are trying to stop smoking again. That's why you have been so cranky lately… that or you are having some really bad sex."

She crossed her arms staring angrily at him.  
Kol shamelessly shrugged and reached inside the pocket of his jacket removing Rebekah's stash and dangling it in front of Bonnie.

She unfolded her arms reaching for it with a gasp. "I haven't seen this since my days at college."  
"I was going to throw it away but then I thought I would just take the night off and lock myself in my office and see what all the fuss about this green stuff is."

"You never…" Bonnie shook her head slowly.  
"Care to take my virginity away?" he asked with a naughty lift of his eyebrows.

Bonnie judged him infinitely but she was desperate for a smoke and the weed seemed of really good quality. "It's not that bad when it's done safely…"  
He waved the bag and walked backwards to his office, she looked around the empty room knowing they were alone in the building and followed him.

* * *

"Is she sleeping?" Caroline asked pulling the long wool cardigan closer to her chest.  
"No, she expelled me out of the room once she stopped crying." Klaus smiled.

Caroline did as well because they all knew Rebekah's personality. "She just needs a good night of sleep and some guidance from her older brother."  
Klaus nodded ready to leave the master room, he only came to tell her about Rebekah. "Goodnight Caroline…"

"Wait…" she stood from where she had been sitting.  
Klaus looked back intrigued, was there something wrong with her?

She sat back down at the foot of the bed. "How was your day?"  
"I went to the hospital… I'm free of my bandages and the ribs are healing very quickly, the rest as expected is taking a little more time."

She smiled happy that he was healing so fast. "That's good, you will be able to go back to your regular life soon."  
"What was my daily routine?" he inquired curious.

Awesome, now she was left without a good answer. "We didn't see each other much during the day."  
Instead of getting upset like the other times Klaus smiled already with a plan. "Now that I'm cleared to move freely I wanted to go shopping for new clothes, I really don't like the suits; I was wondering if you would go with me, we could swing by the old loft as well… I'm contemplating painting again but the only place I felt any inspiration floating was there."

"I'm having a slow week because my inspiration has left the building…" she joked with a sad atmosphere. "It would be nice to take a day off." her smile became brighter and she reached behind her for a small package. "I got you something today."  
Klaus squinted taking the small package and smiling when he found a beautiful black beaded necklace inside with a small crucifix.

"A small redemption for all the ones I set on fire, it's the closest I could find to your favorite necklace." she sweetly said touching the crucifix.  
"Thank you Caroline."

She looked up at him always so enchanted with the way he said her name but she lost the smile when he got ready to leave again. "Nik… you really don't have to sleep in another room."  
Klaus closed the package in his hand; he focused on the plaid pattern of it instead of her blue scorching eyes. "I understand how difficult all this might be for you and there is no reason to make things more uncomfortable for you."

"Look at me Nik..."  
Like a small child caught with no way out he looked up immediately losing part of his resolution, since the first night he came home that he refused to put Caroline through this and didn't force her to share a bed with him.

"You don't want to sleep in the same bed… is that it? You don't want me there? You can tell me."  
She wasn't even half way through her question and Klaus was already cupping her cheek and stroking the soft skin with his fingers. "Of course that I want you love but with every layer that I find about my uncovered past I feel awfully blessed that you haven't divorced me yet."

Caroline gasped as he turned around leaving, she pressed her hands together and rested them against her lips, she was shaking as well so she entangled her hands in the cardigan.

* * *

"I might have been too hurried trialing my sister… this is actually really good." Kol handed the rest of the cigarette to Bonnie.  
"Nothing like good old Mary J. to take your mind of things." she giggled after a long drag.

"If Caroline came through that door right now she would kill us."  
"Or worst, she would fire us." Bonnie handed him the very last bit.

"I'm trying to forget that I wanted to drown my sister in the tub… how about you?"  
"There's something seriously wrong with me when I end my days kicking and fighting a snack machine."

"Now you are smoking pot sitting on the floor, inside the office of your ex-lover…" Kol put out the rest of the cigarette and chuckled. "Things are only in danger of improving."  
Bonnie lazily played with the shoes that she was in no hurry to return to her feet and looked at him with a subtle flirt, he licked his lips captivated by the inviting green eyes and her luscious lips.

Then he closed his eyes pressing them with his fingers. "I'm slightly dizzy."  
Bonnie laughed poking him. "You are such a lightweight."

He opened his eyes to look at the laughing girl, they were in the dark behind his big desk and Bonnie had the most mesmerizing smile, far better than the city on the other side of the window full of lights that filled the dark night. Nothing was brighter than Bonnie and her perfect smile.

Without thinking Kol leaned forward and kissed her, he trapped her lips in his and kissed those lips he missed too much. And Bonnie kissed him back; she met the pressure on her lips and matched his tongue when he knowingly invaded her mouth.  
There was a soft moan that he swallowed by deepening the kiss, changing his breath when Bonnie tugged his hair just in that way that drove him crazy; as the kiss became a strong struggle for power Bonnie pulled him with her as she moved to lie on the floor.

Kol left her lips momentarily kissing her neck and Bonnie released a sound that made his blood boil, one that he missed just like he missed the woman eagerly opening his belt. Bonnie managed to open his pants while answering another kiss and Kol pushed her skirt up stroking her leg and all that skin he loved caressing, there was a small delay to free themselves completely but they knew each other so well that it only took them a few seconds to find a way.

Bonnie threw her head back and arched her back in knowing pleasure as soon as Kol entered her, she should be saying no but she was moaning yes with every deep thrust and her leg went around him while her hands sneaked inside his shirt wanting to feel his skin.  
Kol steadily pushed into the woman under him burning his back with her tiny hands, he cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply while his other hand found its way under her top brushing her breast covered by the laced underwear, the touch made Bonnie gasp in delight.

They were having fast sex on the floor, by no means she should be enjoying this so much but Kol knew her body like no one and the small cry she released when he quickened his pace was proof enough.  
Kol moved his hand down feeling all of her body and rested it at her lower back hauling her a little away from the floor and pushing to end it.

Incoherent or not, the loud noises leaving her mouth were like music to his ears and it didn't take them much longer to come undone.  
He stole a tired kiss from her before resting his forehead on her chest.

"Bonnie… I don't care how much you say that you hate me… we still want each other the same way… and we are not remotely over." he said out of breath.  
She lost her fingers inside his wild hair. "I know… and I hate you even more now because of it." she breathlessly admitted.

* * *

Klaus wasn't expecting the knock but maybe Rebekah was coming for a late talk or maybe his brother Elijah was sweeping in for a swift second round. "Come on in." he put his book down mostly surprised to see Caroline.

She still had her wool long cardigan but she was wearing a short silky nighty underneath it and although it wasn't too raunchy it still looked incredible on her; Klaus was certain by now that nothing could make Caroline not look sexy in any occasion.  
Caroline stopped near the end of the bed. "I know all your reasons but I have a saying in this as well, I'm not talking about sex Nik, I'm talking about sleeping in the same bed and I miss your warmth and the way I feel tiny against your body. I miss sleeping with my husband and I have you home now so I'd like to fight for the sheet and the pillow."

It had to be a ruse the way she innocently smiled at him while taking her cardigan off because he could think of everything but adorably sleeping with this woman right now.  
Caroline took her side on his bed and covered with the sheet, she twiddled her fingers staring at the ceiling, after a sigh she turned on the bed facing him. "Why is this awkward? We did this for years."

With a chuckle Klaus moved facing her as well. "We should talk until we get sleepy... we have been talking about my memories all this time but what about yours sweetheart? Tell me about one of your most esteemed recollections about us."  
Caroline didn't have to think much about it, this was an easy one; she slowly reached for his shirt, smiling because he was wearing the necklace already.

Klaus lessened his eyes when she nested her hand under his shirt over the big tattoo he had of birds and a feather; razor-sharp like steel the image surfaced from his forgotten memories. "You… painted it…"

Caroline's smile reached her blue loving eyes. "One night after we made love, I started painting your chest out of nowhere and somehow one bird turned to a lot of them and then I added the feather and you liked it so much that you just left the loft…" her warm thumb stroked his chest while she spoke in a low tender voice.  
"I had it tattooed that very night." he remembered everything about that night like it was yesterday.

"You were always very impulsive…" she whispered while her hand traveled from his tattoo to the middle of his chest and then in a motion that was so natural to her, Caroline rested her hand on his neck caressing it.  
"It was the first time we made love and I wanted it to be part of me." Klaus held her cheek in his hand. "I wanted you to be part of me."

Caroline saw the tears dancing in his eyes and her vision became foggy as well. "I should have been worried that you left like that after our first time together but you did come back branded by me so…" she laughed softly through the overwhelming moment.  
"Your mark goes much deeper than the skin love…" Klaus' hold became different and he stroked her ivory chin with his thumb.

Caroline's breath changed as well because he was looking at her lips and then she was looking at his, their eyes did meet after a flicking movement but everything was like an old movie returning between them.  
Klaus slightly moved and bent forward catching her lips softly, there was a soft gasp from both because there was an electricity between them that couldn't be explained and because they both wanted this kiss.

He pressed her lips sweetly and Caroline kissed his back, capturing the softness in them and how warm they were; she stroked his neck parting her lips a little and waiting for him to accept her invitation.  
Slowly Klaus ran his tongue over her lower lip before he melted his tongue with hers; after that all that Caroline could do was moan in bliss.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

I wanna have your babies - _Natasha Bedingfield_

It's not over - _Daughtry_

The story - _B__randi Carlile_


	7. Blank Page

He stormed inside the house slamming the front door aware she was just behind him but he was trying to stop another fight before it even started.  
If only he was that lucky.

"Klaus?" she stepped inside the house ready to take his head off.  
He didn't bother with the ice as he angrily prepared a drink, just like he didn't bother after the first 5 drinks at the idiotic function.

"I have been calling you all the way from the driveway." she shot loudly, visibly upset that he didn't wait for her.  
"I had to be deaf not to hear it _sweetheart_." he loosened the tie and harshly drank the strong Scotch.

How she hated when he said the word with a resent feel to it, she threw her handbag on the couch and started unbuttoning the coat furious. "Do you mind explaining to me what happened tonight?"  
"A glorious waste of my time." he mumbled without facing her.

"The charity event was Elijah's idea and no one forced you to go."  
"Would you have preferred that?" he faced her only enough to see her reaction to his question.

Caroline took her coat with a nice little scold. "You spent the entire night drinking and provoking Kol until he finally left with Bonnie."  
"Hence the reason why you are really upset with me."

"I'm raging mad because my husband was a jerk tonight and apparently he's not done with the Scotch yet so I can't even have a decent fight with you because you reek of alcohol."  
"You haven't answered my question." he blatantly had his drink slowly enjoying it.

"I wish you would stop being jealous of Kol when you have no reason for it, of course that I wanted you there but not on jerk mood."  
Klaus simply turned his back on her refilling his glass but he smiled when Kol stormed inside the house ready to redo his face.

"Do you mind explaining to me why you were an ass the entire night?"  
"I was inspired." Klaus easily ended his drink.

"This needs to have an end because it's starting to affect things between Bonnie and I."  
Klaus turned to another drink while Caroline felt horrible that this constant behavior from Klaus was having an effect on others as well.

"I'm sorry Kol."  
Klaus bitterly raised his drink with a loud chuckle. "I'm sure you will find the time to comfort him, after all you don't have time to have lunch with me but spend the entire day with him."

It was Kol's cue to leave and Caroline's to grab her things.  
"You are drunk and mixing my profession with petty suspicion for my character."

"And according to your belief, blind to everything that goes on in that office of yours."  
"There is nothing between Kol and I. How many times do I have to keep telling you this? I have never looked at another man Klaus but I spent the entire night watching you flirt with that bimbo Elijah introduced you to."

"She is a possible investor that Elijah wants for the gallery." he said almost astounded that she was jealous of the insufferable woman he had to endure all night. "I was doing it for Elijah."  
In that moment Caroline spotted the vulnerability in him but she was tired of backing down in everything lately. "What about me?"

"Elijah is my brother, they are my family." he said like someone pinned against a wall with no option.  
"I am your family Klaus. I'm your wife and you keep forgetting that, there's this wall that you have built between yourself, the family and me; and I can't do this anymore." her voice began to sound hoarse.

"You are not making any sense." he proved her point by shielding behind that cold wall that he built because ultimately he couldn't please everyone.  
"I'm tired of fighting for crumbs Klaus." She grabbed a frame and handed it to him mad.

He took it with a special hatred that she was calling him Klaus.  
"I'm so exhausted that you will accuse me of something it hasn't even crossed my mind but then have to witness you disrespect me so callously in the name of your family."

"I thought you were too busy tonight laughing with your _close friend_ to notice anything that I did." he sourly dropped the frame on the table.  
Caroline restrained from slapping him across the face and decided to be the first one to break a fight that was not headed in a good way. "Do me a favor and drink yourself to sleep down here, I can't even stand to look at you right now; let alone share a bed with you."

"With pleasure love." he waved his drink with a cold smile that hid exactly how much his heart was breaking.  
Caroline flinched when she reached the door, glancing back only in time to watch him drop the broken frame with the picture of their wedding on the floor; she forced down her heavy tears and left the room before she caught him throwing everything on his reach to the floor with painful tears dancing in his broken blue eyes.

* * *

The memory that woke him up early had pulled him away from the bed and from the woman curled up in a fragile ball, like she was covering herself from him or the pain he inflicted on her in the past with his actions.  
These were the hardest memories to endure and as they kept coming to him more frequently Klaus had to really pretend that they didn't affect him at all because if anything they only gave him resolution to prevent them from ever happening again.

"Good morning." he smiled at Kol as they crossed paths in the staircase.  
"Morning…" Kol murmured but stopped a few stairs down. "Nik?"

"Yes?" he beamed happy that Kol was addressing him.  
"If Bekah asks you for money, don't give her any under no circumstances."

"Of course." he easily agreed with another big smile.  
"All right… see you tonight…" Kol said awkwardly fighting his way between a smile and a nod. On a quick reaction he turned around and rushed down the staircase.

Klaus still smiled that they actually shared more than two words between them and went to the bedroom.

* * *

There was a strong aroma of coffee that forced her to open her eyes, Caroline moaned still sleepily and slowly faced the dashing man sitting on the bed with a big smile and a mug of fresh coffee for her.  
She pulled the sheet closer refusing to leave the warmth of the bed. "Why are you up already?"

"I wanted to stay here watching you sleep but I had a few errands to adjust with Elijah that I couldn't postpone."  
The mention of the older brother finally woke her up completely and she sat on the bed taking the mug from him with a frown. "Is everything ok?"

Klaus nodded with a smile and stroked her cheek. "But I need you to get ready, we went to the bank and I have a few papers that I need you to sign."  
She clutched the mug somehow expecting the worst, just that she had no idea what that would be. "Papers?"

"I found out yesterday about an agreement that was signed prior to our wedding revoking your right to my income."  
Caroline had the coffee lowering her eyes from his.

"I've decided to change all that."  
"Elijah was supportive of your crazy act?" she meant to make it sound like a joke but she was afraid he was starting to know her well by now.

"I should have never agreed to this, you must have been so hurt at the time."  
Caroline held the mug with both hands and stared into the black beverage. "I sort of understood why Elijah was so straight forward and strict about the prenup, I mean…" she looked at Klaus. "I was your student and then I was your summer girlfriend…" she shook her head. "I found it incredibly romantic that you asked me to marry you on my birthday but your family instantly saw me as the gold-digger."

"Is that why you accepted it or did I have anything to do with it?"  
As she looked down again her beautiful hair fell and he moved his big hand to her cheek again silently moving the locks away so he could see the look on her face properly.

"You wanted to please the family which I understood at the time because our wedding was a chance to reunite the family. Going to college was your small rebellion; Elijah wanted you to be an architect and instead you chose to follow your passion for the arts and you were so good at it that you became this little prodigy that the university didn't want to let go."  
He shouldn't look so good as the smug smile graced his lips. "I know, I _googled _my name."

Caroline burst into this fascinating laughter; she covered her mouth a little and shook her head. "I see that you liked what you found."  
"I was most impressed." he said excited.

And Caroline leaned her head a bit because his hand was still warming her cheek and she liked having that heat on her skin. "So was I… you were doing what you wanted and you didn't care what others had to say about it and I was just so taken by all that power and determination."  
He caressed her cheek lovingly. "I intend to be that man again… Carebear."

She rolled her eyes but he didn't miss the unwilling smile creeping in.  
"Is that what you really want Nik?" she sweetly asked searching for his blue eyes.

There was a small hint of a smile as he leaned over to kiss her. "I want it all."  
Caroline's hand moved to cup his cheek as well and she answered a kiss that naturally became long, he powerfully claimed her lips and kept her busy with a sequence of smaller kisses that merely proved how irresistible he found her lips.

She gripped his neck keeping him in place when he dared to hint a break from her lips, who said he was allowed to move those precious full lips of his away from hers? She had missed the weight of them too much.

* * *

"A fancy dinner sounds nice but I would settle for greasy French fries and cuddling on the couch tonight." Bonnie whimpered into her phone while touching the button sending for the elevator.  
_"I'm trying to impress you here Bonnie." _Damon protested.

"Do you know what would really impress me? A week of vacation on some island where clothes are forbidden."  
_"I'll start looking online for the perfect beach with white sand and blue water."_

She smiled touching her bangs. "I could actually try to sneak out of the country before we really start working on the new collection." she said thoughtful.  
_"I'll have a list for paradise that we can discuss over dinner… at Donovan's." _

She sighed resigning to his wish to have dinner out. "I'll meet you at the restaurant."  
_"Wear something sexy, I'll be smoldering in my blue shirt." _

Bonnie shook her head ending the call and randomly looked inside the elevator as the doors went open, Nicole was there indulged in a book but so was the smirking bastard that stood in the back.  
Slowly Bonnie came inside and pushed the button with her floor.

She didn't move and kept her eyes on the door as the elevator began to move up, she gulped down when Kol's cologne hit her hard.  
He melted his body against her back and moved a hand in front of her so he could reach the buttons. "How diverted of me, I forgot to push my floor; I'm meeting a reporter." he said while his left hand trailed her back slowly.

Bonnie shook his touch away with a scowl and then smiled at Nicole that noticed her now.  
"Hi, I didn't see you come in… this one is so good." she pressed the book against her chest. When the elevator stopped Nicole looked back at the couple. "I have to swing by human resources but I will have those fabrics you asked for ready in one hour."

"Thanks Nics…" Bonnie waved as the secretary left the elevator immersed in her book again; as soon as the doors closed she pushed Kol away from her back. "Stop whatever little perverted little idea you have growing inside your head because last night was nothing but a very wrong hallucination. We were both really high so let's pretend it never happened."

Kol easily moved trapping her between the wall and his body, he moved both hands down the side of her curvy body and grabbed her ass pinning her to him. "I don't want to talk about being high, I want to be low… very low with you again." he whispered against her neck.  
She tried to fight him but the small shiver gave her away and she gritted her teeth mad when the tip of his tongue tasted her neck. "We are never going to do that again." she bravely stated.

Kol left a humid kiss on her neck while one of his hands trailed to places that appalled her, she pushed him away with enough strength this time and cursed the tingle that his touch brought to her body.  
Kol raised his cunning hands and walked backwards to the elevator doors. "If you change your mind, my office is always open." he winked at her.

Bonnie huffed her bangs with an unsteady breath.

* * *

Caroline eased on the smile and the quick pace once she reached the kitchen where Rebekah was sitting at the table; she left the mug inside the sync and looked at the blonde quickly cleaning a few silent tears.  
"Do you want some fresh coffee?" she asked Rebekah quietly.

The other shook her head and another pair of tears fell from her beautiful blue eyes.  
Caroline came closer to the table frowning with the stuff scattered there, she picked one of the credit cards that was destroyed and soon realized the table was full of cards cut in two or too ruined to be used.

"Kol decided to cut me off from any access to money, I can't even buy a cup of coffee now."  
"He's always so extreme…" Caroline left the destroyed card on the table and looked at Rebekah again.

The girl played with the little hole in her Jeans, because she was sitting with her knees closer to her chest Caroline could see the contrast of her white skin with the black Denim and somehow the heavy look made Rebekah look even more vulnerable.  
"Maybe you could lend me a little money… I won't tell anyone." Rebekah whispered into the kitchen.

"I can't Rebekah, you need real help." Caroline tried to be sweet but not condescending.  
Rebekah snapped with a grunt. "You are such an idiotic little twit… I had more tolerance for you when I thought that you were getting married to Nik only because he knocked you up."

"That will be enough Rebekah." Elijah sternly caught both girls off guard.  
"Are you honestly defending her?" Rebekah's voice accused the shock.

"She is married to our brother and lives in this house, she deserves to be treated with respect and Niklaus would be a little more brutal with you if he was the one coming inside the room as those bitter words left your mouth."  
Rebekah stood up with the most disgusted sound. "A big speech just to say that you have switched sides."

"You will respect Caroline and we will seek help for you, perhaps it's time for a family intervention."  
"I can barely hold back my excitement." Rebekah moved her arm knocking half the cards to the floor before she left the kitchen in her dark clothes and mood.

Elijah cordially smiled and nodded at Caroline but the girl was as baffled as Rebekah about his attitude.  
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful but what was that?"

"Niklaus seems determined to change the last years of his life and I think it's my duty as his older brother to help him in what I can."  
"I'm very shocked that includes being nice to me."

Like usual Elijah kept his eyes on himself, always fixing his tie or suit instead of looking at Caroline as he spoke. "I may have not been as supportive of your arrival to this family like Kol was but I didn't spend that much time at home either."  
"Yes, I know that. There were times I was happy that you travelled so much because let's be honest here Elijah; you hate me."

Elijah jolted his head at her at once, Caroline's strength hit him as hard as he expected when he was avoiding looking at her, just like her beauty.  
"I know that you don't like me and that you think that Nik could have done a lot better than he did when he settled for the immature student that liked dancing and laughing, I know and just because Nik isn't himself right now it really doesn't mean you have to act like you like me at all."

"I suppose he has already told you about his plans to transfer all his fortune to your name."  
Caroline sighed tired. "I wish you would all stop giving so much importance to money. I love him, even when I resigned to live with a man I didn't recognize anymore I still loved him and I don't care how much money he has or how many paintings he is selling, I just want to share my life with him."

"I'm aware of the sacrifices you made when you chose to move into the mansion…" Elijah looked away from her again.  
"No on sacrificed more than Nik, he gave up on everything he was just to have a family."

Caroline quietly left the kitchen; she had a very deep breath and smiled at Klaus when she found him inside the big walk through closet upstairs.  
He was throwing suit after suit over his shoulder. "Loathe it… makes me queasy…" he mumbled throwing another suit.

Caroline laughed calling his attention.  
He turned holding a deep grey suit that he waved at her. "Please tell me that I never wore this… it makes me feel old just looking at it."

She took the suit from his hand conveying a serious expression. "It's very _50 shades_…"  
"No it's not, it's quite insipid." he said clueless to the reference.

She dropped the suit on the floor with the others. "Be grateful that your memory blocked out the last literature successes."  
He frowned still at the loss but brought a shirt up to his face level. "Why do I have a satin shirt in my closet that reminds me of _Scarface_?"

Caroline started laughing loudly, the golden locks bounced happy as she laughed with more will. "You hate your closet."  
"I hate everything in it." he lowered his shoulders with a sulk.

"You are overreacting…" she went around him and looked at the huge amount of shirts that all looked the same. "I'm sure there is something in here that we can savage…"  
"I already saved my Henleys and a few Denim, you are free to help me set fire to all of this."

She jerked her head back to him. "We'll give it to someone…"  
"I'll leave it in Elijah's room." Klaus smiled mischievous.

And Caroline knew how he was resolute about it so she helped him gather the clothes from the floor.  
"You know, I am married to a famous Stylist… you should design my clothes."

Caroline laughed not taking him remotely serious.  
But he was. "Why should I be spending money on someone else's clothes when I could be wearing the best?"

Caroline gave him a double look. "What are you even saying? I only make collections for women."  
"Perhaps this is your chance to do something different."

Caroline folded a dark velvet suit thoughtful. "I would be so bad at it…"  
Klaus squinted surprised. "I doubt there's one thing that you can't master."

"I suck at math." She giggled.  
Klaus took the folded clothes with a sweet smile. "I challenge you Caroline Forbes Mikaelson to do this, make a collection for men and dress up your husband."

She shoved her hands inside the pockets of her colorful summer dress. "What if I end up covering you in leather and chains?"  
He lessened his lips a bit. "Is there any fantasy that I haven't… fulfilled?" he asked incredibly uncomfortable.

Caroline tilted her head with a cocked eyebrow.  
"Oh, you were musing. That was very funny."

"If you say so…" she said with a side look and swiftly left the closet room.  
Suddenly Klaus was questioning many things.

* * *

Elijah smiled with the pile of clothes on his bed, Klaus did have a peculiar sense of humor and he should have guessed that with his memory loss his brother wasn't interested in dressing like him; clearly the infatuation phase was over now.  
Elijah removed his suit jacket leaving it next to the large pile on his bed and walked to the laptop resting on the small desk, he had a few emails to respond which were always easier to write on the computer.

On the way there Elijah opened the shirt around his wrists and folded the shirt allowing his eyes to drift to the book on his bed stand, it wasn't even a surprise that he went there first but as expected the book looked untouched and Elijah breathed in relief. Only now the horrible feeling that someone could have easily seen into it came over Elijah and with a soft move he opened the book revealing the folded picture inside.

He gulped down not daring to touch the smiling face that looked so delicate and surely was soft to the touch.  
She was so mistaken when she confronted him for hating her, Elijah closed the book covering the folded picture of Caroline in her wedding day; he felt everything but hatred for the woman married to his brother. And the atrocious sin of coveting after her was like a second suit that he wore every day, one that prohibited him to even look directly in her eyes.

* * *

Klaus pulled the big paper bag away from her reach with a solemn warning. "I said it was a surprise."  
"But I want to know what's in there, you disappeared back in the store when I was looking for a good suit." she leaned against the door after fighting to see inside the bag on their way up the stairs.

Klaus turned the key on the door of the old loft. "I don't need a new suit because you will be sketching exciting new clothes for me and I spotted a small market across the street; I went shopping for a few items and now I'm making lunch."  
Caroline staggered a bit before giving that little tricky bump to open the door. "Do you remember how to cook?"

Klaus laughed quickly recognizing the mocking tone and dropped the bag on the small counter. "All I have to is add water to the pasta and make your favorite."  
"Actually you were the one that really liked Italian and assumed I did as well." she waited for his reaction with a sly smile.

"It's too late to change the menu now…" he said discouraged.  
"But _Pasta a la Nik_ should be interesting." Caroline left him at ease and went to the canvas curious if he had painted anything since they were here.

"I never cooked for you?" he pulled the long cotton sleeves up getting ready for his mission.  
"We always ordered food when we were here, there wasn't much time between the…" she pulled her eyebrows together moving a little away from the canvas to look at him. "… artistic liberties… that we were indulging ourselves in." she said slowly.

He smugly looked up from the scarlet tomato that he was slicing perfectly. "I'm very pleased that I was keeping my muse busy."  
"I was keeping you busy as well." she returned the smug smile.

Klaus chuckled slicing an onion now. "So we can cut the small prelude between us; we had a very pleasant sex life."  
Caroline approached the small kitchen and sat on the only stool there, she rested her chin on her hands and stared at him with a smile. "It was ok."

She bit her lip holding back a roar as the skin on his neck wrinkled in doubt and simple horror for the word she chose. "My ego might not survive this… but you mentioned that we were very passionate." he waved the knife at her.  
"And we were, I mean it's not that alarming that I fell asleep during the act itself a few times." she said carefree.

He dropped the knife on the floor and gulped down loudly. "I beg your pardon?"  
Caroline raised a little and rested her hands on the counter leaning over and kissing his appalled lips. "Relax Nik, I'm just teasing you."

"You are a very hilarious girl." he mumbled picking up the knife.  
She giggled sitting down again. "I used to be before I got so serious."

"Due to everything that happened between us?"  
"That and the overwhelming change in my life, I was sharing a dorm with Bonnie and then I was moving to the Mikaelson palace."

"I feel underwhelmed in there, I have nothing but mopping childhood memories from it and the house is awfully big and dark. I was expecting Elijah to keep his dead wives locked inside some room."  
Caroline laughed again with a genuine happiness and stole a piece of tomato. "I've lived there for three years now and I can honestly tell you that I haven't been to all the rooms yet."

"Is it possible that Elijah enjoys a different kind of tea?"  
Caroline threw her head back laughing again. "It would explain the hair."

"Oh but then we have Stefan that nests something up there." Klaus pointed to his hair.  
Caroline wrinkled her nose. "That one isn't gay… I'm almost certain of it."

Klaus sighed dropping the perfect cubes inside a pan. "He had a liaison with Rebekah."  
"Seriously?" Caroline asked invested in the story.

"And I think it happened during our wedding party."  
"Kol and Bonnie as well."

Klaus smiled cleaning his hands on a towel. "A memorable day for everyone."  
Caroline smiled enchanted and moved those long lashes of hers keeping him trapped in her eyes for a little longer.

"Well food will be ready in one hour, I hope I don't disappoint." he folded the towel.  
"My husband is cooking for me." she said in a slow pace, as if reality was overtaking the surreal and she was finally accepting what was happening. _This_ was actually happening.

"And I have another surprise that I don't want you to see so go entertain yourself for a little bit."  
She shook her head with a big childlike frown. "There's nothing to do… I rather watch the handsome man cooking for me." she ended with a big smile.

"Off you go sweetheart." he sent her away determined.  
She growled in protest and sulking went away to sit on the bed, she sighed leaning a bit to peek into the kitchen.

"No cheating Caroline."  
She folded her arms like a little kid and dramatically dropped on her back facing the ceiling. "I'm bored."

Klaus ignored her and she quickly realized he was on a quest and she was by no means allowed to interrupt him so with a loud huff she turned, resting now on her tummy and facing the floor.  
That's when she spotted the pad, Caroline reached for it without moving from her position and opened the pad while it still rested on the floor.

It was an empty pad and she made little circles on it with her finger, stroking the cold smooth blank page until the circles became imaginary lines and slowly Caroline left the lying position to sit on the side of the bed.  
She took a few pencils that were lying around and trapped her long hair with one, then she took her flat shoes off and folded her legs on the bed resting the pad on her lap and giving life to the lines she imagined just now.

Before she noticed there was a full sketch of a man with a Henley type of shirt but with large buttons and she added texture to the drawing imagining it in a warm wool fabric, easily she made the pants with cool pockets and imagined them to be in red.

Caroline tore that page and began drawing a new kind of shirt and added a little vest this time, something that would be very loose but with intricate buttons and then she added glasses to the model giving it a very nerdy look that made her giggle but oh, she was on fire and she made a sketch of the pants with a strong opposite because she made them low-cut and with big pockets and a few holes on the leg.

She was so absorbed in it that she didn't perceive Klaus speaking to her and simply drew sketch after sketch, she was now deeply focused making a suit with a soft plaid pattern, she wrote down the colors deep blue and navy blue before she forgot them and there was a small noise as she finally pulled herself away from her work.

Klaus was standing there with a plate on a towel and a glass of white wine, she melted with the smile accompanying it all.  
"Sorry, I was so over-involved in all of this." she glanced to bed now filled with dozens of sketches.

"For now you eat, then you go back to being terribly hot while working."  
She smiled dropping the pad and taking the food. "It's just silly stuff that I made…"

Klaus returned with his food and sat next to her holding one of the many drawings she made. "These are actually quite spectacular." he said honestly.  
She hardly believed him and dug into her food. "Just stuff that I was doing as it was coming to my mind."

"I'm not trying to be nice, I'm being sincere."  
"This is the best Italian Pasta I ever ate, truthfully." she clasped her chest holding back a moan.

"Thank you wife." he smirked into his wine.  
"Wifey approves and wifey demands that hubby cooks more often." she beamed.

It made Klaus laugh and as his chest shook with it Caroline slowed down her eating process, she admired the man that was indeed hers.  
"I might show these to Bonnie though… I like the idea of having something different for **Power **like an all male collection."

"You are quite the designer love…" he admired another sketch.  
"I had the best teacher…" she ate happily shifting the conversation into naughtier ways. "In many many things."

Klaus laughed without facing her, he was just enthralled with her work.  
"Thank you for giving the idea and nudging me to do it."

Klaus faced her with a big grin. "I want this as payment." he held the sketch with the red pants.  
"You already walk around with my name on a ring, my art on your body and now you want to wear my clothes?" she lifted a flawless eyebrow at him.

He chuckled eating but raised his eyes to her, he had his chin low which gave him a wining advantage and he smoldered Caroline easily. "I'm in a disadvantage… I should paint something on your body as well."  
"Like what?" she had her wine trying to sound so cool but she could feel her heart racing like mad.

"I should lay you down on this bed and paint all over your back, whatever flow my inspiration would lead but I would certainly take my time with it… dragging a wet brush over your ivory skin and slowly making it shiver under my touch because the paint would be cold against your hot skin and while I traced it to pull a decent portrait I would cherish every loud gasp or quiet moan that I would steal and then as temptation won me over I would add my lips to the canvas."

Caroline was breathing so harshly that she had her big glass of wine in one take, she threw her head back and just gulped down the beverage. "Do we have more wine?" she asked in a screechy voice that she cleared to control the fluster reaction to his erotic words.

* * *

"Last one…" Elena sweetly smiled handing Stephan the last medical chart that needed his signature.  
He left his amazing signature on it and a cute little heart at the end of it.

"Doctor." she called him out on the rebellious act.  
He smiled cheeky. "Do I have to add my phone number so that you finally take the hint and go out with me?"

Elena trapped the long hair behind her ear. "I'm going to blame the really long night shift for the intrepid flirt."  
He handed her back the pen with a whisper. "I want to go out with you nurse Elena but you are not making my life easy."

"Sorry if I'm not easy."  
Her big chocolate eyes seemed to lure him in even more and he finally built the courage to go home, after all it had been a really long shift; one that he blamed for the sudden double vision.

Elena looked back noticing his puzzled look and instantly wanted to run away with him so that her sister wouldn't get her paws near him.  
Stefan pointed at Katherine truly lost and she eased on her fast pace sizing the hotty.

"Hi, I'm Katherine Pierce; Elena's sister." she introduced herself with a hot smile.  
"Stefan Salvatore." he said looking at Elena surprised that she hadn't mentioned a sister.

"Ok Stefan see you tomorrow, time to go home and rest." she dismissed him almost coldly.  
He nodded knowing there was a good cause for her change of attitude. "It was a pleasure Katherine." he politely faced the other sister.

"The pleasure should have been mine Doctor Salvatore… and please, call me Kat."  
He nodded excusing himself without prolonging the flirt and the talk, he looked back once at Elena that looked angrily at her twin.

"Ummm… someone make me ill so I can be healed by that." Katherine purred as Stefan walked away.  
"What are you doing here?" Elena clenched the words.

"I need money." Katherine easily said.  
There was a sigh and then Elena closed her eyes rubbing them in some sort of appeasing system.

"Ease on the drama E; Matt is a sweet man but he is only paying me in two weeks and I'm running out of good dresses to wear every night… and it's not like I can use anything you own so..." she stretched her hand.  
Elena took her time reacting.

"I'll pay you back." Katherine said with an attitude.  
"No, you won't…" Elena mumbled but she was certain that Katherine would camp out in the hospital or make a scene until she gave in. "There's money in the cookie jar behind the honey but take only the money you need for the dress." she warned a grinning Katherine that was leaving already.

"You are welcome." Elena shouted upset.  
Katherine waved her hand not even bothering to look back.

Elena grumbled very annoyed but smiled when she looked at the chart and saw Stefan's heart there, she touched it already feeling a little better.

* * *

Caroline gathered the drawings on the bed waiting for the surprise, even though she was certain her heart couldn't handle much more.  
Her eyes landed on something that Klaus placed on the bed and she immediately looked up. "Nik…"

"I remembered." he said proud of himself.  
If there was one thing in the world that Caroline was absolutely crazy about was blackberries, she had an irrational love for them and he remembered as soon as he saw them.

"I saw them in the market and I had to buy them for you."  
"Stop." she said utterly serious.

Klaus simply looked at her.  
"You have to stop, you are too perfect right now and I'm just waiting for you to wake up tomorrow and go back to who you were and I'm going to have a breakdown and cry and be miserable for days." she stood hectically from the bed.

"Love…"  
She stopped him almost angry. "Stop being so romantic and sweet and telling me all these things that I can't handle without skipping several heart beats."

"I can't." he said in a low voice.  
"Of course you can, just… be Klaus."

"I'm not him anymore Caroline and even if I do get all my memories back I will never be him again."  
She wasn't even sure why she wanted to cry. "I feel guilty because I'm falling in love so hard for this man in front of me and I'm starting to panic because I don't want to lose you again…" she turned her back on him touching her forehead. "Because you were always this larger than life man and I somehow fell quietly into your shadow and I lost my voice between all the fights and then I didn't bother having my voice heard because I didn't know what to say anymore."

She was looking at the floor and Klaus took her arms, he kissed the back of her head and laced his arms around her. "I should have never put my family or anyone else before you." He whispered against her hair.  
Caroline widened her eyes and moved a little to look at him.

"This morning I remembered the fight we had on that night after the charity event, the night I broke the frame with our wedding picture."  
Caroline's fat tears made a glorious silent return as the pain consumed her all over again but Klaus turned her completely to him and stroked the arms he was holding gently.

"I didn't smash it because I regretted marrying you, I did it because I couldn't stand to look at my reflection, the man there was not what I had become and I hated it. I wasn't strong enough to resist all that was surrounding me, when I should have been doing what I have done now; learn everything about the woman of my life and spend my time with her marveled about every tiny detail about her."

His thumbs stroked her skin warmly as he carried on. "True that I am not the same man you first knew nor am I the one I became later but I am a better man now love, am I not? A worthy one of you, I hope..."  
She quietly nodded.

"I woke on that hospital bed as a blank canvas Caroline and all that happened after that was because of you. It was all for you."  
She closed her eyes as he kissed her wet cheek.

"It was all for you Caroline and I may wake up tomorrow and remember all that I was but I know now what I was missing and I won't give up on that sweetheart so I will never forget what happened since I woke on that hospital bed with an angel watching over me."

Caroline gripped his face between her hands and kissed him, she kissed his lips a few times before smiling. "I've already asked you to stop…"  
"It's not a reasonable option Mrs. Mikaelson." he powerfully claimed a kiss that was nothing but a clear statement of how much he was in love with her.

* * *

**Soundtrack: **

Who you are - _Jessie J  
_  
I don't believe you - _P!nk_

Wildest moments_ - __Jessie Ware_


End file.
